Eternal Hunt
by CJwat15
Summary: The sequel to Team CEBS. Christopher, Estrella, Benjamin, and Sade have been granted special powers. However, they must now track down others who are abusing the same powers. And with new powers come new adventures, strengths, and weaknesses. Team CEBS (Cerberus) must fight through them and fulfill their mission: Hunt down the power abusers.
1. Chapter 1: Nightmare

**Author's Note**

Hello dear reader! This story is the sequel to **Team CEBS**. If you haven't read it, this story will be confusing.

Check out my profile for the previous story (Sorry, the link system isn't working!)

Anyways, enjoy the story!

* * *

"How do you think it feels?"

"To have your "family's" blood on your hands?"

Christopher

Hm..My eyes snap open, and I seem to be lying down in a field of snow.

"This must be a dream." I think to myself. After all, I clearly remember falling asleep in my room.

Just as I'm sitting up, I notice around twenty shadow-like creatures around me. Great, Fallen Phantoms. I remember these things from a while ago..along with their bear-like claws and wolf-like howls. Crud, do I even have a weapon? Oh good. I find Scarlet Nightmare on my finger ready for action. Also, it seems to be fully loaded, the sign of a smooth battle. I easily fend off the Fallen Phantoms, ending each one's life with a single explosive round. I've just wiped my brow of sweat (wait, do you sweat in dreams?) when a voice from behind rings out.

"Why would you do this..son?"

Quickly turning around, a deformed figure of Zolo Yelick is standing there with a greatsword. Ugh...Just looking at him is causing me to cringe, but I grasp Scarlet Nightmare firmly and charge towards him. This dream form of Zolo is much more agile than his real form, but in reality, he's dead. I'm able to overpower him in my dream, and put his soul to rest again. My hands were...covered in bright ruby blood..and then my eyes snap open.

Ironically, I woke up with sweat on my brow. Just like in my dream...Wait, what time is it? Reaching over for my alarm clock, it's around 5:38 AM. Yikes.., I'm starving. After dragging myself out of bed, I slowly walk out of my room downstairs to the kitchen. Maybe there's some leftovers in the fridge...

Hm..no leftovers, so I search the pantry. My ravenous hunger for food led to finding some swiss cheese and rice crackers. Quickly devouring my snack, I decide to go for an early morning stroll. While walking around the empty streets of Gria City, I notice a suspicious vendor upon passing an alleyway. Silently, I move towards the vendor to eavesdrop a little. Oh shoot! They're selling strangely colored vials….I'm gonna guess they're DNA samples from the Yelick genetic lab then. Hope they're ready for an explosion then!

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! I draw Scarlet Nightmare and open fire on the vendor and it's patrons. A fire has just started when five guards form up and charge towards me. Bringing Scarlet Nightmare up into a fencer's position, I slash down three of the guards before they can react. The other two attempt to strike me with their batons (more like clubs if you ask me) and while I'm able to dodge one, the other hits me in the shoulder, mildly bruising it. The wound wasn't too detrimental though, as I'm able to emerge victorious. All of the guards were bleeding on the ground. Oh god...I have blood on my hands again...ULP! I start throwing up in the alleyway. There goes my crackers and cheese...After about two whole minutes of retching, I'm able to regain my wits. Okay, note to self..don't eat before engaging in bloody combat situations.

Shakily standing on my feet, I notice a poster. It's for..the Heart Flower Festival? I never heard of it before, but maybe it would be interesting to attend it with everyone else. For now, I should get something else to eat..It's 6:54 AM now, so not many places are open..

Biff! I'm startled as a plastic bag hits me in the face! Huh? After inspecting what the bag was, it appears to be a loaf of melon bread. Looking around for the thrower, I notice a snow white cloaked figure at the end of the alleyway.

"Morning Princess!" I yell while the figure takes off her hood, revealing Estrella, my teammate and potential girlfriend. She blushes while I thank her for the bread, and it's a nice start to the day. I won't mention the Heart Flower Festival until we've met up with the rest of Team CEBS though. After a brief conversation, Estrella and I part ways to get ready for school.

I always wanted to live a content life, and even if I develop more weaknesses along the way, I will push on and fight, because that is what runs in my family. A Ravenmore soars and develops their identity.


	2. Chapter 2: Insight

"You may think reading intentions is a gift."

"But it's really a double-edged sword."

Estrella

Sigh..I knew Chris would be stirring something up sooner or later. He takes his Predator Unit duties seriously after all. I'd better get ready for school then, but for convenience, one of my family's limos is waiting for me. Having a butler drive me to school is nice, but I would like to drive by myself sometimes.

Inside the limo, I have my Redmiara Academy uniform ready for me to change into. Huh. I almost forgot how short the skirts were. It's above knee-length for goodness sake! At least I'm wearing shorts underneath it. My personal armor has already been sent to the academy for storage, so maybe I'll take part in a few classroom duels today. Five minutes later, the limo stops. My butler opens the door for me to witness the early morning sun reflecting across Redmiara Academy's towers.

Walking towards the campus square, I notice Sade surrounded by a crowd of both male and female students. Ugh. Sade recently decided to practice music for our band, but she failed to realize the attention she'd attract if she did it in the campus square. So now I'm guessing the crowd around here is there to listen to her music. Better check it out.

Sade seems to be reciting a few serene bedtime melodies that I used to play on my violin for her. How sweet….Hm? Weird, I sense a strange intention in the crowd, maybe I can pinpoint who...found it! It belongs to a young male and he..oh gosh.I'm sensing his thoughts..

"Oh my gosh, this golden haired girl is hot freaking stuff! Wonder if I have a chance.."

The nerve of this guy. So I weave my way through the crowd and grab him by his shoulder. He swivels around and tries to punch me in the face, but I easily dodge it and knock him over with a well placed kick to his nuts. Whoops, I wish I hadn't done that, because the crowd's noticed already. A few are looking at the scene in shock, but the student I canned has recovered and has drawn two daggers against me. Swiftly evading, I decide to challenge him to a duel.

Doing so, we take our positions at the outside arena. My opponent has drawn both his daggers, so I follow suit by drawing my new blades. Sunrise and Celeste, with both of them being made by Chris. I channel fire magic through Celeste whilst I'm waiting for my opponent to react.

He charges forwards and unleashes a multitude of strikes, but I return with my own flurry. We clash like this several times before we're both partially exhausted. Panting lightly, I change the fire magic in my blades to ice magic. This is taking too long, and at this rate, I'll exhaust myself. Charging my magic, I cover both of my blades in a white light. Then I bring both of them down on my opponent to unleash a shockwave. He blocks some of it, but most of the hit went through his body. After he shuddering for a few seconds, he passes out.

After sheathing my blades, I casually walk over to Sade, who seems to be terrified that I'm going to scold her again. Oh dear, I seem to have established a bad reputation whenever I want to "talk" with Sade. Instead of scolding her, I sit beside her on a bench to discuss our band and the lovely melodies she was playing.

We chat for a while longer before the school bell rings. Then with five minutes left before the start of school, Sade and I part ways. While I'm walking towards my classroom, I feel terrified. I read that student's thoughts, why? Was it because he was special, or...wait. My new DNA gave me the ability to sense evil intentions, so maybe that's why.

A form of a future sight power, but it seemed tailored so that it couldn't be abused...Or could it?


	3. Chapter 3: Isolation

"I abandoned my original life."

"This current life is all I have left."

Benjamin

Sheesh. I really shouldn't be skipping school, but I had another killer instinct outburst, forcing me to find something to kill and eat. I decided to scavenge in the Melio Forest once again, since I had a good idea of where to hunt.

Reaching a clearing in the forest, I find two deer drinking out of a small freshwater pool. Oooh...fresh meat...Acting on instinct, I pounce forwards while transforming into a wolf. Easily killing both of the deer, I start devouring their corpses. Yech. After my previous experience, I have a quick drink out of the freshwater pool to clear my mouth, because the aftertaste of flesh and fur is rancid.

When the deer bones are picked clean, I dash out of the Melio Forest and revert back to my human form. Good, no horrible aftertaste in my mouth. Checking my phone, it's 7:45 AM, which means class has already started…. Oh well, I can probably catch up on my schoolwork tomorrow.

I head straight for the Leaky Bucket Tavern, which was recommended to me by Chris. A quick drink would be nice before I head back to the school dorm. I wish I hadn't picked up on a drinking habit, but it helps dull the pain I feel in my heart everyday.

Stepping inside, the bartender casually asks me for my order. When I ask for an alcoholic drink, he doesn't question my age. Is it because I look older than I actually am? Whatever. As he slides my drink towards me, I reflexively grab it and chug it down. Ooh. That's strong whiskey. Then again, I'm not even buzzed by that. I'm still underage! This shouldn't be normal!

After two, three, no four glasses of whiskey, I pay my bill and head towards the train station, where I jump on a bullet train back to Surgh.

I reach Redmiara Academy's school dorm five minutes later. Then I take the elevator to the third floor, where my room is waiting for me. Now, if I recall correctly, I'm getting a roommate today. The residence only has two beds, and only two rooms. A bedroom and a bathroom. Oh shoot. I have revolver rounds all over the floor, clothes hanging everywhere, and my bed is a mess. Yikes. The only thing is relatively good condition is my armor stand with my midnight black armor from Mr. Drewstrife. My weapons are also neatly piled on a table, my knife, revolver, and extra ammo are arranged perfectly amongst this room's chaos.

The mailbox outside seems to be stuffed as well. Where'd all these letters come from? Pulling out a few, I notice that they're from my family. Oh great. I'm guessing that they want me to come back home...but screw them. Even though I feel guilty for my little sister, who cares about my parents? Chris has done just fine without his mother and father, so I'll be fine too! I make a mental note to burn these when I get the chance. Anyway, it's cleaning time!

 _Five minutes later…_

Have to say, the mess was pretty easy to clean up. So I decide to read through a few of the letters. I skip over the ones from my mother and father, but I end up opening one from my sister.

"Dear Brother, I hope you're doing well. Mom and Dad are really distraught at your departure, but the good news is, that I'm allowed to attend combat school now! Isn't that great! I think I'll start with the knife, just like you! Hugs and kisses, Cecilia."

Hm. It's good to know that my parents aren't being overprotective of Cecilia, but I wonder what school she's attending. Just then, I hear the door. Oh, it must be my new roommate. However, as I reach the door, I consider something. Did my younger sister enroll at Redmiara Academy? I sure hope not, and I slowly open the door...to a flash of golden hair.

"Ben! You're my roommate?!"

I was expecting my sister, but why not have Sade? After all, she's cute, innocent, and...oh what am I saying!?


	4. Chapter 4: Revelation

"Some say we must do anything to win."

"How can we win if we lose what we're fighting for?

Sade

Well, Estrella's going to have a fit. Ben bolted outside to clear his head or something, and who knows what my parents will think...Then again, it's Ben who is living with me, so maybe Mother and Father will be more lenient. Anyway, I should probably unpack, Ben's side of the room is clearly outlined, so I take the hint and work on mine.

A shelf for Swan Song, a personal wardrobe, and a single bed. This isn't so bad... Oh right! Class has already started, so I'm not going to have a full day of my new school life..I'd better get moving anyways though. Grabbing my new uniform, I fiddle with getting the blue dress and and black skirt on. I also grab Swan Song's case and sling it around my shoulder before checking my timetable.

Timetable for Sade Silva, First Year

Period 1: Magical Theory

Period 2: Combat Training

Period 3: General Studies

Period 4: Music

I think General Studies accounts for math, language arts, and all of the other primary education subjects students require. At least that means I don't need to deal with math everyday then. Okay..it's 7:56 AM now. First period is ending soon, so I'd better get ready for Combat Training, which is my second period.

Upon reaching the classroom, I'm met with a few familiar faces. Chris and Estrella are both here, but I don't see Ben…Where'd he run off to? As I ponder, the teacher calls my name. So walking up to the center stage (more like arena), the teacher calls for everyone's attention, and I take a deep breath before introducing myself.

"Hello everyone, my name is Sade Silva. Sister of Estrella Silva. Nice to meetcha!"  
Well, at least this introduction was uneventful, and I head over to sit by Estrella and Chris. They both look pleased with the fact that we share a class. I ask where Ben was, which gets Chris to giggle. He explains that Ben is really shy right now due to the incident this morning.

I shouldn't have expected Chris to be ignorant. He is Ben's best friend after all. Oh, class is starting. Our teacher (I think his name is Mr. Yoki) then announces that we are having one-on-one duels today. Shoot. I wasn't hoping to fight today...A screen above the arena has every student in our class on a roulette wheel. Mr. Yoki activates it while I hope that I'll be spared of combat today. The wheel stops on the first combatant...then the second one..

Ignaz Semuels (Rank#014) vs Christopher Ravenmore (Rank#289)

Whew. I think Chris will be fine, but I notice that he isn't using his normal gunblade. Instead, he's using a orange bladed longsword. Estrella also hands him a pouch of darts while he walks towards the arena. Before the match starts, I ponder about that ranking system. At Redmiara Academy, there are 300 students, so Chris is in the bottom ranks, while that Ignaz guy is seemingly higher rank in terms of skill.

The match begins with Ignaz bringing a blazing aura up around him while Chris does the same, but everyone seems shocked at Chris' display. Huh, I wonder why...Quickly turning to Estrella, we both agree that we'll eavesdrop a little. It's a good thing we did this, as a few choice remarks from a group of males came into earshot.

"I thought Ignaz was the only one with that kind of magic?"

"Yeah, what's with the new guy who's already acquainted with the beautiful Estrella Silva?"

"Beautiful?! That's an understatement! She's sexy!"

Oh great. That last comment has made a vein in Estrella's forehead bulge out. She storms over to the boys while I turn to look at Chris' match again….Crap. Now, the school has a system where teachers can bring up a duel's status in any classroom. From the looks of things..

Ignaz Semuels (Rank#014) vs Christopher Ravenmore (Rank#0289)

Strength: 46% vs Strength: 49%

Chris has a small lead, but I remember that in the guidebook I read before my transfer was that when one duelist's strength reaches 25%, the match is over. Normally at Yorthmire Academy, they would only cancel the duel when one party was unable to continue. This was the same for team battles as well. Intently watching the duel, I notice that Chris isn't as proficient with his longsword as he is with his gunblade. Still, Chris is holding his own with his magic and agility. Ignaz seems to have a stronger aura, but his skill with his dual daggers lack finesse. In fact, it's almost like his attacks are fueled entirely by his magic...

Three minutes later, it ends in a close victory for Chris. His strength hit 28% before Ignaz's strength dropped to 21%. I hear waves of applause, and a loud scream coming from Estrella. Some of our classmates have shocked looks, before our teacher starts calling out the combatants for the next match.

 _Twenty minutes later…._

Estrella nor I had to fight today, and Ben was absent for his duel. At least it's lunch time. However, while I hang out with Chris and Estrella on our way to the cafeteria, Ben pops out of nowhere! Both Estrella and I jump, but Chris calmly asks Ben something that shocks us both.

"Good work Ben. You missed your duel, but thanks for altering the selection process."


	5. Chapter 5: Target Acquired

Christopher

Sade looks confused, so I end up having to explain the situation.

"Look girls. Ben wasn't in class because he snuck into the school's head office, and he altered the system to put me up against Ignaz..because I'm sure he has DNA injected into him to enhance his abilities."

Now that everyone seems up to speed, it's time for making our plan to extract Ignaz's DNA. However, we should probably grab lunch first...Oh wait! I've just noticed Ignaz at the far end of the corridor, so I should follow. No lunch for me then...Whup! Estrella throws me a brown paper bag, which is surprisingly heavy in my hands. Oh, did Estrella..make lunch for me? Before I'm able to check out what's inside, I notice Benjamin snickering while Sade is beaming enthusiastically. For the love of...whatever! After saying a quick goodbye to my team, I dash in the direction Ignaz was going.

I'm able to catch up with Ignaz, who seems to be walking into a clubroom. There's a sign above that says "Swordplay Club". Of course he'd be in that, so I peer through the door to observe him. Huh. Ignaz appears to be the leader of this club, and his ego seems to have been pretty inflated.

"I've only been defeated once, and that did drop my lovely #014 rank to a #019...But I am still the great Ignaz Semuels!"

Yeesh. Talk about self-absorbed. Then he rambles on for a while before he asks for an opponent. No one raises their hands, so I turn to leave...Before I hear a cry from within the room. The door swings open and I'm now facing Ignaz. Oh boy, he looks ready to blow at any moment, and that's my cue to run!

As Ignaz's screams and insults get quieter, I hear an announcement..I'm being called down to the office.

Well, I never enjoyed visiting school offices, but Redmiara Academy has an even heavier atmosphere in that regard. Walking up to the front desk, the female secretary behind the computer looks ready to start screaming at any moment, so I slowly approach and confirm the announcement. She simply asks me to head towards the principal's room.

Upon entering the room, my jaw drops. A gorgeous young blonde haired woman is sitting behind the desk. However, I'm broken out of a daze when she speaks.

"Christopher Ravenmore, am I correct?" she asks. I nod my head in approval, and she offers me a seat. After sitting down, I respectfully ask why I'm here. She introduces herself as Mrs. Odelia Eisen, and starts to explain how she knew...my parents.

"I'm not surprised that you would follow in your parent's footsteps, whether it's intentional or not. Charrie was an aspiring duelist, and Nicholas thrived in his academics. From the information I received from your previous school, it seems that you will do just fine here at Redmiara Academy. Now, that's all I wanted to confirm, so you may go."

After bowing and leaving the office, I check my phone. There's two notifications. One is a mission document from Mahony, and the other is a message from Estrella. I'll read the document later...Oh crud. Estrella's listing the days for our upcoming dates, and they're each one day apart! The first is a team date on Friday while the other is a personal date between Estrella and I. Alright then, I'd better give out the information I've already gotten.

Yeesh. It's only Wednesday, and I'm already exhausted.

 _After school…_

Benjamin

I've just spotted Ignaz walking out of the clubroom Chris informed me about. He's being trailed by a large crowd, and considering his ego, I'm not surprised with the amount of girls following him. Still, there are quite a few male followers. Wonder where's he going…

Tracking him down is easy with his crowd, but when the trail leads to Gria City's center, I become even more confused. Oh wait..Ignaz is slipping away from the group and heading towards a dark alleyway. This looks suspicious, so I take cover near the entrance of the alleyway before checking my weapons. Unfortunately I wasn't able to grab my armor before coming here, but I have the Midnight Justifier and Betrayal, along with a bandolier of different Exoril rounds.

After my weapon check, I start to follow Ignaz's trail again. Urk! I smell something weird, and as if by coincidence, I find the source of the smell. Ignaz is standing there with a few other boys whilst they're exchanging something. Skulking closer, I notice that DNA vials are being exchanged! I'm also able to overhear their conversation.

"Look Ignaz, if you don't keep buying from us, your abilities will deteriorate."

"Really? I thought Phoenixes were immortal though."

"Yes, but with careful research, we've found out that this DNA will dissipate without extra injections or something similar."

"In fact, I have something here for a premium price that will last longer than another DNA infusion. It's a Blaze Stone."

Yikes. I never knew that Phoenix DNA could slowly disappear, and that's important news that I can give to Chris later. Right now though, I have to break this up, as this is an illegal DNA trade. Jumping out of cover, I fire off an Exoril round towards the group. The bullet bursts into flame as it hits one of the DNA vials, resulting in a large explosion of fire. Everything goes to hell for a moment…

Within the aftermath, Ignaz was the only one to survive. I was also able to retrieve the Blaze Stone before it was unrecoverable. Bzzt! Oh, that's a notification from my phone. A message from Mr. Drewstrife...it's for an emergency meeting at Predator Unit HQ. Great, what am I going to do with Ignaz? He looks ready to sue me or something...Oh well.

Quick as a bullet, I knock him out before turning into my wolf form. Then I pick him up in my mouth and dash towards Faygold.


	6. Chapter 6: Genetic Forthcoming

Fifteen minutes later...

Christopher

After receiving an emergency summon from Mahony, I met up with Estrella and Sade before jumping on a bullet train for Faygold. Then we rush towards Predator Unit HQ and burst into Mahony's office.

He looks quite startled as we all tumble through the door. After his initial shock, we all stand to attention in front of his desk. Wait a minute, where's Ben?

BLAM! Just as I'm pondering, a wolf bursts into the office. Estrella and Sade scream in panic while I draw Nightbane, but the wolf holds up its paws in a frantic manner before it reverts back into a familiar black haired male. Geez, I knew Ben had wolf DNA, but I forgot to ask him about his abilities. It also turns out that Ben is carrying the unconscious body of Ignaz. We're all in a fluster before Mahony interrupts us.

"Enough! We have serious business to discuss. First off, Ben, could you please explain why you've brought this young man with you?" he questions while we all sit down.

"Mr. Drewstrife, this here is Ignaz Semuels. I caught him and a few others performing in an illegal trade of DNA from the Yelick genetic lab. After my engagement, Ignaz was the only survivor. I also acquired this Blaze Stone, and I have bad news for Chris."

This catches my attention, so I urge Ben to continue. He then explains that he found out that Phoenix DNA can actually dissipate over time. Oh shoot. I'm about to demand more information, but Mahony beats me to the punch.

"Ben, I was just about to inform Team CEBS about this. In fact, we've just received a threatening letter from a group calling themselves Cardinal. They want to topple Predator Unit HQ and become the new government. Also, they've stolen a generous amount of DNA vials from the Yelick genetic lab and have augmented themselves."

Well great. We've gone from a simple gang organization, to a anti-government squad, and now it's a genetic terrorist group. Mahony then pulls out a case (I'm not even questioning where he got that), revealing a selection of colored syringes. He explains how these are DNA injections for Predator Units in order to combat Cardinal.

Huh. Makes sense, since to battle them, we must have equal or greater abilities. It's similar to fighting hackers, as you need a hacker to beat a hacker. So Mahony hands each of us a case with our corresponding DNA injections. Ben then tosses me the Blaze Stone, before Mahony quickly demands that we head to a training room before we try anything. As we leave, Mahony reminds us of the mission document we have to view. Oh right…

Inside the training room, we each have a chamber to test out these DNA injections. Everyone else is getting ready, but I hold a familiar relic in my hand. It's Yorthmire Academy all over again. HellFire was responsible to burning the school down, and they were searching for one of these Blaze Stones. So many questions are running through my head. How many of these stones are there? How did people like HellFire find about their abilities and the relics? Nevermind, I should focus to strengthening myself first, so I grasp the Blaze Stone firmly before crushing it.

The world goes white….

Benjamin

I was just inspecting a Wolf DNA injection before I heard a terrifying scream. Turning around, Chris' chamber is ablaze! Oh no. I can only barely see him, but it looks like he's in agony! Geez..is that what Blaze Stones do to Phoenixes? Who knows what some of the other relics can do then…

The fire abruptly stops, and Chris is floating within the chamber, with his majestic blazing wings unfurled. Estrella, Sade, and I draw closer before his eyes snap open. They glow bright orange for a minute, but they quickly revert back to Chris' normal eye color. He falls to the ground, unconscious.

Do the rest of us dare try to infuse more DNA into our bodies? I'm holding a Wolf DNA injection right now...Oh screw it! Plunging the syringe into my arm, I feel a strong primal desire well up before everything goes dark..

When vision returns to my eyes, I can only see moving orange blobs. Woah..they look..very appetizing..I WANT THEM! Giving into my desire, I charge at them before crashing into something solid. Stupid whatever it is! Give me my prey! …...Oh..The orange blobs revert back to the faces of Estrella and Sade….No..did the injection make my primal instinct go insane? There's only a small crack in the clear walls separating our chambers, and both of the girls look terrified. Geez, I'm glad these walls are so durable, since I'm scared to think about what I might've done to them if this had happened elsewhere. Meanwhile, it looks like Estrella has decided to inject herself as well. Well, we can only hope that it doesn't have a horrible side effect this time.

Estrella

Okay, let's hope this goes well. I tentatively hold the white colored syringe before slowly inserting it into my thigh. Urk! Geez, I knew it was going to sting. Apart from that however, the syringe hasn't affected me...Wait. Where am I?

Taking a good look around, it seems as if I'm in the sky. White fluffy clouds, bright light, and a quiet atmosphere. What's even stranger is that I'm not wearing my regular clothes anymore. Instead, I'm dressed in a white robe, with a halo hovering above my head, and a pair of white wings! Is this what Angel DNA does!?

However, as quickly as it started, it ended. The white light fades as I awaken in the training chambers, where both Ben and Sade are standing above me. Just as I sit up and recover…

"Interesting. I never expected these results." Mr. Drewstrife has walked into the room, and seems to be inspecting the damage we caused. He then continues with his analysis, starting with Chris' explosion, then Ben's rage attack, and my...disappearance. The only one who hasn't tested it out yet is Sade. She looks terrified….so I think we should end this experiment before it gets too out of whack.

Ten minutes later, everyone has recovered from their injections and we're getting ready to head home. Huh? Just as I'm sheathing my swords, my phone buzzes. It's a message from Mother.

"Hello dear, your father and I would like to chat with both you and Chris tonight. Please get home as soon as possible."

Well that settles this evening's events, so I'd better notify Chris. I head towards the boys changing room and without thinking, I swing it wide open. Um...Ben seems to have left early, but Chris is standing there..with his shirt partially off. A shrill scream forces me to slam the door before comprehending what I just saw..Chris' abs…

Urk..my nose is bleeding..

Christopher

After properly changing, I leave the changing room to witness Estrella bent over with a small puddle of blood. I guess she couldn't take the sights..So I slap her on the back before asking why she barged in on me. She faces me while pinching her nose, and holds up her phone. Oh, it's a message from Mrs. Silva. We'd better get going then.

Estrella and I meet up with Sade on the way out towards a limo sent by Mr and Mrs. Silva. Then we all hop inside for a quick drive to the Silva mansion.

Five minutes later, the limo comes to a halt, and Mr. and Mrs. Silva are already waiting for us. What's strange is that both of them are in extremely formal wear. The Silva Family may have standards to uphold, but something tells me that today is much more special.

"Goody! You're here. Now, hurry into the mansion and get changed, we have a party to go to! Oh wait, we need Chris to stay here for a moment."

So Estrella and Sade rush towards the front door while I'm brought aside by Mr. and Mrs. Silva. This is good, because I have something I'd like to discuss as well.

"Chris, we've been invited to a formal gathering in the faraway city of Khore. However, our concerns are for our daughters. They've never been to such a grand event..which is our fault for not preparing them adequately..so we need you to come along, since you're so comfortable with them."

Oh great, this is probably one of "those" events. Just like the nobleman selection event that happened a while back. That brings back a nice memory...putting ungrateful snobs in their places...Ben and I gaining the privilege to take the girls on double dates..hm, focus! Unfortunately, it seems as if I'll not only have to dress up, but I'm also not allowed to have any obvious weapons. So I'm not bringing Blazefury, but I could probably conceal Scarlet Nightmare in ring form.

A few minutes later, I've dressed up into a simple tuxedo and combed my hair into a sleek pattern (which doesn't look good at all!). However, as I'm putting Scarlet Nightmare on my finger, a light knocking comes from the door. When I answer it, I nearly fall over in shock. My gosh. Estrella and Sade are both wearing identical silver dresses. They have a white tinsel trim, along with a few miniature diamonds stitched into them.

All I can say is that both of them look absolutely stunning. However, each of her dresses have a sheathed foil, which I'm assuming it's there for self-defense purposes only. Since a foil isn't necessarily lethal, it technically doesn't count as an "obvious" weapon. Then we head outside where another limo and Mr. and Mrs. Silva are waiting for us. While Mrs. Silva squeals in delight over Estrella and Sade's appearances, Mr. Silva brings me off to the side one more time.

Now's my chance to ask him...


	7. Chapter 7: Reviving a Legacy

Sade

It's been a five hour drive, but we've finally arrived at Khore. I'm a little worried about Chris though. He was too..quiet. Normally Chris would be telling funny jokes or stories, and he would have a big smile on his face. He maintains this mellow attitude as we all head into a large banquet hall.

Woah. I thought our family's mansion was extravagant, but this place is ridiculous! Golden chandeliers, crowds of people, and table upon table of royal delicacies. Our parents leave Estrella and I with Chris as they head off towards a group of nobles. It also doesn't take long for Estrella to slowly drift towards the delicacies, which causes Chris and I to quickly chase after her in fear that she'll devour all of the sweets.

Luckily, we're able to stop her, protecting her dignity and probably her stomach as well. She's cutely pouting after I yank her by her dress. Chris stands by another table while he casually nibbles at crackers and cheese. However, some slow music starts to play, and crowds of people are starting to waltz. A few noblemen are already staring at Estrella and I..Ugh, talk about creepy! Just as they "politely" stride over, Chris quickly slides over to Estrella before bowing lightly.

"May I have this dance, my princess?"

Woah. I was expecting Chris to save Estrella, but not in such a forward way..oh shoot, the crowd has their eyes on me now….Urk. I'm just reaching for my foil when a cloaked figure swoops in front of me.

The figure's hood comes off to reveal Ben! He quickly grabs my wrist before wrapping his cloak around me. I close my eyes in panic, but when I open them again, Ben and I are on the rooftop of the banquet hall!

"Sorry about that Sade. Your parents just really wanted me to get you out of there, since Chris can't handle two of you at once at a party like this…" Ben says, but I'm more focused on the fact that I'm cuddling him right now. Just then, another cloaked figure lands next to us. I reach for my foil to strike, but Ben quickly stops me. This figure takes off their hood to reveal a emerald green haired female. Is she related to Ben?

"Oh right, Sade, meet Cecilia, my younger sister." Ben explains.

"Hello there! Are you Brother's girlfriend? You're pretty cute!" she exclaims, sending Ben into a fluster. He desperately denies it while I giggle at his antics. I never expected Ben to have such a beautiful younger sister as well, and it turns out she's only a year younger than me! So I tell her that Ben and I are dating, but it's alongside another couple.

Cecilia and I chat (while embarrassing Ben with certain topics) for a while before she has to leave for another party. She dons her cloak once more, before jumping off into the night, and leaving Ben and I all alone…...The silence is awkward.

"Hey Sade? You may..not be seeing me for a while." Ben murmurs. Yikes. That's one way to break the silence...Why does Ben have to leave though? I ask him, and it turns out that he has a solo mission assigned to him by Mr. Drewstrife. It requires Ben to head towards the town of Zhens. So Ben cloaks himself while saying goodbye to me..but he turns back to tell me one last thing..

"You're going to have a brother-in-law soon Sade."

Huh?

Estrella

Yeesh. Chris just grabbed me and started to waltz with me, attracting the whole hall's attention….hm? Is someone behind me? I'm sitting outside the banquet hall, who's..oh, I know who it is.

"Hi Estrella. Sorry about the forward gesture, but I'm glad to find you here." comes Chris' voice from behind me.

I reassure him by saying it's not a big deal while he sits next to me on the stairs. Feeling a little more comfortable, I lean into him. This Chris is nice...He really didn't look like himself on the way here. Just as I'm feeling drowsy, Chris speaks.

"Mahony knows that a war may start between Cardinal and the Predator Units, and as the saying goes: War is hell." he begins.

That's true. In fact, war is considered one of the greatest downfalls of humanity. I don't like the idea that Team CEBS will have to fight in this war. My parents would be worried to death, and who could predict the casualties?

"Estrella, if a war breaks out, our team is going to lose it's regular life. So we need to make the most out of our time before it's swiped from us. No hesitation, and no regrets."

Wow, Chris seems really mature for a sixteen year-old. Although, I sense something else in that statement, and I can't put a finger on it yet..but Chris gives me the answer.

"I don't want to go into war knowing that I didn't say this to you..I love you Estrella. So before anything bad happens, I want to ask, will you marry me?"

The blush in my cheeks probably skyrocketed at that point. Chris is proposing to me this early..but I love him too. So I accept his proposal. This causes his face to light up, and as we talk for a bit longer, it turns out that Chris got my parent's approval as well. Wait, didn't he already get it way before tonight? Oh whatever..Chris stands up before extending his hand towards me.

"So Princess, shall we be off? I think your parents want to talk with us." Chris says while bowing.

"Very well dear." I respond while taking his hand. Then we head back into the banquet hall to find my parents.


	8. Chapter 8: Old Blood

Benjamin

My sister's words about Sade are still fresh in my memory. Chris sent me a message earlier about his proposal towards Estrella, and it's making me feel self-conscious about my own love life. Nevermind..I gotta focus on my mission. I'd better check the document..

Assassination Mission: Weapon Smuggling (Town of Zhens)

Target: Georgi Breyer

Members: Benjamin Rudemo (Team CEBS)

Looks like my target secretly supplies weapon shipments for Cardinal. I've taken an express shuttle to Zhens, courtesy of Mr. Drewstrife. This should be a good day to test my new explosive Exoril rounds…

Upon reaching Zhens, I quickly duck into the town's shadows (alleyways and other tight spaces). Crowds and public settings are the worst conditions for concealment after all. Anyway, I'm looking for a small log cabin, but that seems like it would be the worst hideout for hiding weapons...but appearances can be deceiving, and I'm not taking any chances.

I find the cabin a small distance away from Zhens' town square. There are a few guards stationed outside, but it's nothing I can't handle...wait. Who's that figure on the rooftop? Are they after the same target? Oh well, I've fought for quarries before.

There were only two guards, so I slip inside the cabin through the bathroom window. Peeking out of the door, I see Mr. Breyer...fighting the strange figure from the rooftop! Both of them are using swords, but the figure is using a very distinct blade...Wait, it's a gunblade! The figure's fighting style..the explosive shells...It's just like Chris! He's at the party with the Silvas, so this could only be..one of his relatives!

I remain in hiding while the figure defeats Mr. Breyer. However, the figure suddenly turns around and spots me. Crap. No hiding now….I roll out of my hiding place while drawing my knife. The figure follows suit by pointing their gunblade at me. So before we clash, I quickly speak up.

"Are you related to Christopher Ravenmore?" I bluntly ask. This causes the figure to falter, before they remove their hood, revealing a gruff looking man with a wrinkled face and raven black hair. He speaks in a deep voice.

"You're a friend of Chris'? Pleased to meet you, I'm Nicholas Ravenmore. Glad to hear my son's alive." he introduces himself.

No wonder his fighting style is familiar. We sheath our weapons before having a brief chat. This lets me realize how similar Chris is to his real father, rather than Mr. Yelick.

He asks how Chris is doing without him, but I try to convince him to come back into Chris' life.

"Chris needs you. He's barely holding on with Charrie gone, so you need to return to your family. Chris is now on a Predator Unit team with me and two others, so he's fine now. Please. Return to your home."

Nicholas ponders for a bit, but he eventually agrees and bids me farewell….Oh shoot! I have to report this to Mr. Drewstr-..Mahony. I really need to work on my informal speech.

 _Back at the banquet hall in Khore…._

Estrella

Chris and I are walking hand in hand, grabbing the attention of practically everyone in the banquet hall. I spot my parents calling us over into a private room. We quickly scurry over before anyone tries to make a move on us.

Two men in black shut the door behind us, while my parents sit us down at a large table, and Sade is there as well. My father is the first to speak up.

"So Chris? I assume by you and Estrella holding hands, you've successfully proposed to her. Good on you to give me a heads up before though."

Oh, so that's what Chris talked with my father before we came to Khore. So my parents now want to discuss our engagement. One of the events brought up is either having Chris spending a week at our mansion, or me going over to spend a week in Chris' house. After a bit of debating, it is decided that I'll spend a week at Chris' mansion first.

My parents then wish Chris and I goodbye before asking the black suited guys for a limo towards Chris' mansion.

 _Ten minutes later…_

The limo stops in front of Chris' mansion, but the lights are on right now. Why? I thought Chris was living alone? And a burglar would probably have been more discreet if they were robbing the place...Before I can react, Chris dashes towards the front door with his gunblade drawn. I follow suit while drawing my blades as well. We burst through the door, and head towards the living room. There, sitting on the couch, is an old looking man who is sipping a glass of wine. Clunk. Chris' gunblade drops uselessly to the ground before he slowly approaches the man and..starts crying? The man calmly puts his glass down, stands up, and walks towards Chris before embracing him in a bear hug.

"Welcome home, my son."

Christopher

My dad's embrace. I thought I'd never see the day that I would find my father, and be able to hug him...Our touching reunion is interrupted when my dad notices Estrella. He quickly releases me before getting up in her face.

"So! I see that my son has taken his first steps into the adult world! Congrats!"

His forward statement is already enough to send Estrella into a slight fluster, but I remain relatively calm. We then sit down in the living room to discuss this further. My father rapidly throws questions at Estrella, and I try my best to help her cope with my father's energetic attitude.

 _One hour later…_

I've just finished showering before bed. Estrella seemed to be quite exhausted after all those questions, and my father wants to treat us out tomorrow. Although, once I leave the bathroom, Estrella is standing there..in a slightly transparent nightgown.

Normally, I would've dashed out of the room, but she and I are engaged. The nightgown doesn't even show that much. Her stomach and her legs. That's it! Or at least that's what I'm trying to convince my brain of before Estrella speaks up.

"Hello Chris. I'm..a little scared that your father's going to ambush me with more questions..so could I sleep with you?"

Oh dear. My father's already off to a poor start with Estrella, but we're to be married soon...so I willingly allow her.

She cuddles up close to me before slowly drifting off. However, I am restless. The sudden reunion with my real father has still shocked me, and now I'm curious as to what I'm going to do with...my foster mother. Even with all those questions, my father was able to explain the whole story.

When I started to fall asleep, I dreamt of the events that unfolded...


	9. Chapter 9: Wounds of the Past

**Author's Note**

 **This chapter includes the perspectives of Team CMZN (Crimson).**

Charrie Ravenmore

Mahony Drewstrife

Zolo Yelick

Nicholas Kaobeth (Ravenmore)

Enjoy the flashback!

* * *

 _Ten years earlier….._

Charrie

The Fallen Phantom quickly decays into ash after I stab my blade through it's back. That's the fiftieth one I've defeated tonight, and it looks like the rest of my team have defeated at least forty each. I think it's time for a break then.

After regrouping with the team, we find a few fallen logs to sit on before opening our thermoses.

"Another exhilarating hunt wouldn't you say?" comes the voice of Nicholas, my enthusiastic beloved. His gunblade is similar to mine, but the one belonging to me is a family weapon.

"Of course, but we could be able to make it more efficient with some more planning." says Mahony, our tactician. A compound mahogany longbow rests on his lap, with his quiver of platinum arrows ready for action, and a hunting knife resting in a leather sheath.

"Whatever, I just want to relax for a bit." Ugh, that's Zolo. He's lazy and apathetic with his studies, but he can fight...decently at least. That silver greatsword is terribly unwieldy and his skills with throwing knives are...adequate.

However, I'm more concerned right now about my son. He's still at home right now with a few maids watching over him, but I want to see him so badly. Even though he's only a six year old, he can already handle a dagger well. That's impressive.

We all sip hot chocolate before gathering the remains of the Fallen Phantoms. Luxus fragments. They go for a very high price back in Faygold, since they are used for weapon forging. Oh! I'm getting a message on my phone. It's from Predator Unit HQ and Mahony's father.

"To Team CMZN. You have a new mission in the town of Polk. You will be heading out tomorrow, and make sure you are prepared for anything. I've sent a mission document to everyone. Good luck on the hunt. -Joseph Drewstrife"

Alright then, that gives me a chance to do training with my son, and I think Nicholas will want to talk with him as well. Hopefully he can start on swordplay soon…

 _Ten minutes later…._

Ah, it's good to be home. Nicholas and I have just taken a bus back to Faygold, before stopping in front of our mansion. Two maids have already dashed out to greet us….but only Nicholas returns the greeting as I quickly storm into the mansion before stopping in front of my son's door. Oops. Better check if he's sleeping first. I slowly push the door open….

"Mom! You're home! Can we have dinner now?" comes my son's voice before he jumps into my arms after I open the door. Sigh...I'm about to start crying..

Nicholas

After dismissing the maids, I head upstairs to witness another tender reunion between mother and son. I don't blame her. Some of our mission take weeks, and that prevents us from seeing our only son. Charrie then picks him up before bringing him over to me.

"Dad! Let's go out for dinner tonight! Or is that off limits?" my son Chris exclaims.

I don't see anything wrong with a little celebration. Although..the only places open this late would be the more...shady restaurants. I think it would be alright if both of us are accompanying Chris, but..

After a bit of debating, we agree to head towards the questionable side of town fully armed. Both Charrie and I have our gunblades loaded, and Chris has a combat knife sheathed in his belt. Now then..let's go.

We enter the shady part of Faygold, and we all are wearing cloaks with the hoods up. Too bad Zolo and Mahony couldn't join us...Chris looks adorable in his ruby cloak. However, we still haven't decided what we're going to eat. Oh, what's that lovely smell? I point it out to Chris, who quickly dashes towards the smell...It turns out to be a small ramen place. I'd really like to have something hearty right now, so this works.

Stepping through the ragged wooden door, we realize how crowded the place is. Smokers...potential hookers...Oh well, better just grab our food and get out.

Around five minutes later, we've gotten three regular ramen bowls to go before we start to head back towards our mansion. Because we need to check up on Chris' progress.

Back at the mansion, Chris and I have taken our positions within our indoor dueling arena. I've drawn my gunblade, and Chris is ready with his knife. Hopefully he'll be able to use a regular sword soon though. Charrie is standing on the side, ready to count us in.

"Okay! The usual son vs father training! In 3...2...1...GO!"

Quickly firing off three rounds, Chris dodges two while parrying the other with his knife. Then I dash forwards to slash at him. CLANG! Our blades clash, but I know that I'll overpower Chris shortly...Agh!

My ensured victory is destroyed when Chris tosses another knife that he kept underneath his sleeve. While I quickly block the surprise attack, he knocks me over before bringing his knife to my throat.

"It's over Dad!"

I yield.

Charrie

Wow. I wonder where Chris learned about sneak attacks, because we never taught him about those. Although, this is his first victory against Nicholas. So while my husband is getting that knife wound treated, I walk over to Chris, who is sitting on the floor sipping from a water bottle.

"Where'd you learn to pull off surprise attacks like that sweetie?" I question.

"Oh, I scared one of the maids by hiding a spider plushie in my sleeve, so I figured I could do the same with a knife when fighting Dad." he replies.

Ah. That's good, Chris is turning mundane experiences into combat techniques. He's learning fast...I'll need to get him his first sword soon.

 _The next day…_

Chris is still sleeping, so I'm getting all of my supplies for the mission Joseph assigned to my team ready. Rations, water, backpack, ammo, and my Flayer S-Class Carbine, Nightbane. I also do maintenance on my gunblade. This will be passed onto Chris when he's older...Oh gosh, I shouldn't be thinking about this right now. Better get ready for the mission.

A little while later, I've met up with the rest of my team, and we're on a train bound for Polk. The train was practically deserted, apart from one cloaked figure sitting a few seats ahead of us.

We arrive at Polk seven minutes later. Crap. The town seems to be under attack by something! Quickly drawing our weapons, I lead Team CMZN into battle!

There were Fallen Phantoms, but there were also Agony Binders. These devilish creatures shot dark energy bolts that sap a person's strength extremely fast. I'm able to pick them off in the back, while the rest of my team handles the Fallen Phantoms. It's not that hard...This is just like a normal hunt...I think?

However, they keep on coming. I'm about to run out of ammo in my gunblade when Zolo calls us over.

"Hurry! Into this barn!"

Nicholas, Mahony, and I dash inside before barring the door. BLAM! SMASH! Whew. That was a close call….?! Just as I turn around, Zolo has a grenade primed and ready….and he throws it directly at us.

BOOOM!

…..I can barely move. There are multiple pieces of shrapnel embedded in my arms and legs, rendering them useless. Nicholas and Mahony have been thrown in other directions, and I can't see them from here. My vision is starting to go blurry...but I can make out one person standing above me. Zolo. He points his greatsword at me before muttering something under his breath. I can just barely make it out.

"I'll take good care of him."

Then he brings his sword against me, and that's the last thing I remember.

Zolo

I feel both horrible and pleased at the same time. Outsmarting Charrie? That takes a lot of luck and a sudden surprise. Killing her like this? Okay, that's nauseating. Both Nicholas and Mahony have been knocked out, while my "friends" take out the rest of the threat. One of my closest friends, Jakob, walks in to inspect the setup.

"It was a good plan Zolo. You wanted Nicholas as your test subject after all, but why didn't you choose...a more worthy candidate?"

Nicholas would've put up less resistance. Scarlet Nightmare is a weapon to be feared, especially in Charrie's hands. Speaking of which..I need to retrieve that...huh? Where is it?

"GAAAH!"

I spin around to see Jakob receiving a knife through his neck. There's a cloaked figure behind me, and their hood falls off to reveal..Chris.

"Get away from Mom!" he screams before charging me with his knife. Pitiful. I smack him on the back of the neck, knocking him out cold.

I already know that Jakob is beyond saving, but his last words did have their intended effect….A different test subject?

"This will be interesting…"

 _Five years later…._

"I hope you know what you're doing honey." comes the voice of my wife, Yuela.

Oh I know. With Chris' memory mostly wiped from my lab's serum, he'll be ready for the DNA injections once he turns eighteen. He's no longer a Ravenmore. He's part of the Yelick family now.

* * *

Christopher (11 Years old)

I don't know where I am or really what I'm doing anymore. However, in my back pocket, I kept a crimson ring. I had no idea why I felt attached to it, but I hid it...what does it mean?


	10. Chapter 10: Cardinal Strikes

Christopher

I woke up early to make breakfast, but I have to wriggle out of Estrella's grasp first. She's hugging me like I'm some oversized teddy bear. Slowly, I move her hands off to the side before sliding out of bed. Then I quickly head to the kitchen. Oh, Dad's already in here. He's in a casual suit, and sipping a cup of coffee while nibbling on some toast. He greets me happily, and I dash over to give him a hug.

He gives me news that he'll be permanently living here...and I couldn't feel any happier. Before he leaves (I'm guessing for business reasons), I start cooking breakfast for Estrella and I.

"Well son, you seem to be becoming a proper husband. I hope you know how to hold your own in the housework battles!" he enthusiastically says before leaving the kitchen.

Heh. If there's one thing I clearly remember my mother telling me, it's to learn how to cook, sew, and do other house chores efficiently. So I quickly put a few eggs on before starting on the toast. It's 6:32 AM right now. School starts at 8:45, so that gives me a bit of time to prepare breakfast, get a quick training session in, and take a shower. I've just prepared two plates with eggs, toast, and bacon, when I hear yawning behind me. Estrella is standing there in her nightgown while rubbing her eyes.

"Yawn...Morning dear…" she moans before stumbling over to me and hugging me tightly. The feeling is nice, but I'm definitely hindered like this…..

"Princess, I can't bring your breakfast to the table like this…" I manage to force out with her..chest pressing up against my back. She whines for a bit, but lets me go before sitting down at the dining table. Once I put the plates down, we dig in. Estrella seems to still be half asleep though...So I finish breakfast before she does and head to the indoor training arena.

Whew….I'm glad the arena is well equipped. There's a weight room at the far end, and a dueling ring on the other end. The only downside is that I'm all sweaty now. A nice shower will fix that, so I head to the bathroom.

….I forgot how big the main bathroom was. Five separate shower areas, ten toilet stalls, and one giant communal bath. This mansion would be well suited for more than ten people, yet only two were living in it right now. A lonely feeling washes over me (that was not a pun!) as I quickly shower.

 _Five minutes later…_

Urk. I hate ties, and there had to be one with this stupid uniform. At least I don't struggle as much as some other people I know….Hm? The door behind me suddenly opens, and Estrella walks in closing her eyes. Oh for the love of...if she was afraid of seeing me naked, she should've just knocked. Once she realizes that I am in fact fully dressed, she walks over and hands me a small blue cardboard box. It seems to be a gift from Haskell and Trinity. Estrella and I quickly open it to reveal two silver rings. Both of the rings have distinct patterns, one ring has a small pair of angel wings with "Estrella" engraved on it, and the other has a raven with "Christopher" engraved on it. Woah. These are engagement rings!

"Well this is nice of your parents Estrella. Do you want me to put yours on?"

She nods slightly while blushing. Man, she's all shy again today. So while kneeling on one knee, I put her ring onto her left hand. While she stops to admire it, I go in for the kill (not literally).

Estrella

I'm just admiring the craftsmanship of my ring when Chris suddenly lunges forward. I try to dodge, but he firmly plants his lips on mine. For some reason, I willingly accept it by embracing him tightly. When we break apart, he seems so cheerful.

"Come on Princess, when you don't smile, it breaks my heart."

Chris is really taking his role as my..beloved seriously. So I smile back before reminding him that we have a double date with Sade and Ben today after school. Then his energy seems to shatter before he panics.

"Wait what? I don't have an outfit prepared! We only have an hour before school starts! Oh...Gimme a moment!" he screams before dashing off to his room, and I'm suppressing a laugh.

 _Twenty minutes later…_

I've changed into my school uniform while Chris has grabbed our weapons. He hands me Sunrise and Celeste before sheathing Blazefury and putting Scarlet Nightmare in ring form on his hand.

We head towards the train holding hands, and it only takes five minutes to reach Redmiara Academy. Chris and I don't have our first period together, but we'll see each other in second period. I wonder where Ben and Sade are…

My first period is Magic History, and I see Ben talking with Sade at the far end of the classroom. I sit down next to them before Sade asks a very embarrassing question.

"So..did you two do anything...lovey dovey last night?"

The question catches me off guard, and I panic slightly. We aren't actually married...so it wouldn't be good if we had already done "something". Ben then seems to spot my engagement ring, and he questions me about it. Well, there's no point in hiding anything…..

After I've explained everything to Ben and Sade, our teacher Mr. Falker walks inside. He starts to give an announcement.

"Redmiara Academy's school festival is coming up next week, so I hope everyone will be there. If you and a group of friends are looking to brighten up this year's festival, please visit the principal's office with your suggestion. Now on with today's lesson!"

A school festival huh? I need to look into that, since Team CEBS may want to do a band performance or something, and it looks like Sade is thinking of something already. I can talk to Chris at lunch time about this as well. However, it's in a week….there's not much time….

Second period rolls around, and it's Combat Training! I've dashed to the classroom to hopefully catch up with Chris, but when I arrive, something makes a vein in my head twitch. Chris is dealing with a giant crowd of fangirls. They're wearing crimson clothes, and have all gotten hair dyes similar to Chris'. The good news is that Chris isn't flirting with them. I can sense that in his intentions, and he wants to find a way out of there. Better give him an escape route.

"Over here dear!" I yell, grabbing the attention of everyone in the classroom. Chris breathes a sigh of relief when he comes over before hugging me tightly. Then we take our seats, far away from the now gossiping crowd. Chris explains how the "fan" squad was commenting on his ring, and that he didn't want to tell the truth just yet. Obviously. If Chris told the truth, he and I would have a ton of explaining to do. We don't need that right now.

Mr. Yoki comes in and brings us the roulette screen for today's duels. First up…

Laraine Sassetti (Rank#248) vs Estrella Silva (Rank#256)

Strength: 100% vs Strength: 100%

I despise how horrific my rank is, but I just started here, so there's no reason I should be any higher. Quickly running over to the locker room, I hastily put on my armor before returning to the arena. Laraine is waiting for me...and she's wearing crimson armor and a furious face. Great. I'm fighting one of Chris' fans. She pulls out a bladed bow while I draw my blades and prime my dart blaster. The match begins when three arrows come flying straight at me. I easily block them with a new shield spell I learned, but Laraine charges towards me before splitting her bow into two shortswords. Oooh. Dual wielder vs dual wielder huh? Quickly parrying off a flurry of strikes, I fire off a Nitril Dart. Laraine tries to parry it, but it ends up exploding in her face. She recovers while re-forming her bow and fires another four arrows.

This time I nimbly dodge the arrows before returning with my own volley of Exoril Darts. These little guys are infused with fire magic, so they have a much more hefty punch. I've drained her strength down to around 64%, and mine is still strong at 87%. Oh shoot. I let my guard down…

Christopher

Estrella was doing fine, but Lariana suddenly pulled out a large platinum arrow. Estrella reacts quickly, and both of them fire at each other which results in a large explosion and a thick cloud of smoke. Once it clears, I look at the status screen.

Lariana Sassetti (Rank#248) vs Estrella Silva (Rank#256)

Strength: 16% vs Strength: 18%

Oh man. That was a really close match….Crap! The smoke clears, and I notice that Estrella has that platinum arrow sticking out of her chest, but Lariana is covered in serious burn marks. Mr. Yoki quickly announces Estrella the victor (due to her higher strength level) before requesting someone to carry both of the wounded to the medical bay.

I immediately raise my hand, and dash forwards to retrieve Estrella. She's unconscious...so I lift her over my shoulder before grabbing her weapons and heading towards the medical bay...I could've sworn someone else wanted my help…

Once I've arrived at the medical bay, two nurses quickly hurry over to me before guiding me to a small bed. I lay her down carefully before the nurses start to tend to her wounds. They ask me to leave...but I refuse and show them my ring before pointing to Estrella's ring.

"Oh I see, you're her fiance. Please stay as long as you like..in fact, we could use your help."

I happily oblige. Bandaging Estrella's wounds up is a harrowing process, but I immediately throw the giant platinum arrow in the trash. When we finish treating Estrella, she has bandages over her chest, legs, and cheek. I hope she'll wake up before our date…

After watching over Estrella until the end of second period, I head to the cafeteria to pick up lunch for the both of us. Ben and Sade have taken their seats, but they look pretty concerned when I walk in without Estrella. Well, they both had second period with Estrella and I as well…

I return to the medical bay with two pizza buns. Estrella seems to have woken up at least…and she's looking out the window right now. Judging by her stillness, she really doesn't want to talk. So I quickly pull a piece of paper out of my bookbag, and scrawl a note.

Then I leave it on her lap with the pizza bun before storming over to another bed. Lariana's bed.

Someone else must've carried her here, but she notices me immediately.

"Hi Chris...I was wondering, what's Estrella to you?" she questions. I assume she saw Estrella's ring, but I'm seeming at how injured she was...No. Calm down Chris, and explain yourself.

"She's my future wife. I proposed to her last night." I simply state. She looks a little torn, but seems to silently agree. So I quickly continue, before I feel like crushing her for hurting Estrella.

"This is one thing I would like you and the rest of your friends to gossip on. It would really help with keeping both "fan" groups at bay. Please avoid injuring my beloved too badly, otherwise I will hunt you down."

She nods in agreement, so I leave her to stew in thought before heading for the door. However, I steal one last glance at Estrella. Um. She's still….completely still. Hopefully she'll recover soon…

I leave the room and hurry off towards third period.

Estrella

Agh...My wounds really sting...huh? I've just noticed that a pizza bun is sitting on my lap along with a crude note. I read the note while nibbling on the bun.

"Hey Princess. When you're in a better mood, I hope you'll be feeling well enough for our date after school, but rest up for now. I'm gonna get some payback on Lariana. Love you."

Geez. Hopefully Chris didn't do anything...crazy. I'm feeling better though. I look rather ragged, but I'll head to third period anyway…? My third period is blank…..Oh. I forgot I had third period free. I'll just head to the library to think about the school festival then.

Upon reaching the library, I see a giant crowd surrounding Mr. Yoki. I'm assuming he doesn't have a class right now...He's holding a poster up with the school festival's theme. It's going to be "Decisions". So choices in life? That's a unique theme for a school festival. Normally that would be the theme of a more...global festival. Whatever, I need to come up with some ideas.

 _Forty-five minutes later…_

RINGGGG! Gah! The end-of-class bell startled the hell out of me. I've just been brainstorming for a while, but now it's time for fourth period: Magical Theory. I head towards the classroom where I see Chris waiting for me. He's leaning against the wall looking at his phone, but he still notices me as I slowly approach him. He gives me a light smile before we both head into the classroom.

Magical Theory is fun. The teacher changes everyday, and the focus of the class is to develop our own magic techniques. I'm focusing on creating some stronger shield magic, but Chris seems to be free, so I hand him my brainstorming sheet to see if he can come up with anything for the festival.

It only takes five minutes for Chris to return the sheet back to me. I glance at it to see that Chris is working on a spell that allows him to alter the color composition of clothing. Hm. That may come in handy for one of the ideas I had...Which was to use illusions to create the symbolism of different paths in life. So he concentrates on that, while I make my shield magic.

Fourth period goes by without any trouble, so Chris and I head out to the school plaza to meet up with Ben and Sade. Just as we find them however, Chris lets us know that his father wants us to meet him at the Ravenmore mansion. Alright then, let's get going.

Upon reaching the mansion, Nicholas is waiting for us in a large mini-van. He hollers for all of us to hop inside. We quickly follow his instruction, but Chris quickly asks where he's taking us.

"To one of my favorite hotels! We'll have a celebratory feast on your engagement!"

Sigh...Nicholas really is carefree. I wonder if that's what Charrie was attracted to. Chris is panicking, as he asks about clothes and other "necessities", but Nicholas brushes him off by saying "It's been taken care of."

The van ride is relatively uneventful before we get stuck in a traffic jam. We're middle of Faygold's center...Sade has fallen asleep in the seat, and Ben is patting her head. Chris is leaning into my shoulder….BOOM! We're all awoken when large explosions start going off! Nicholas quickly looks out of the window, and informs us that there are warheads coming down on us! Quickly reacting, we all rush out of the van. Great. Since we're in a traffic jam, there are too many "bombs waiting to go off" around us! Nobody even has their armor, it's in our lockers at Redmiara Academy! Although, I brought Sunrise and Celeste with me, so I'm not completely defenseless. Looks like Ben has his knife, Sade has Swam Song, and Chris has his gunblade.

We luckily find cover away from the mass of vehicles before spotting a large group of soldiers in the distance. Chris pales at the sight.

"Wait a minute...that symbol, those are members of Cardinal!"


	11. Chapter 11: The Coming Storm

Christopher

The Cardinal members have spotted us, and have already sent in a scouting party. I quickly wave everyone off from fighting. I walk forwards to meet with the scouts.

"You there! Stay out of our way!" one of them shouts. Pfftt..are these guys stupid? They should've just pushed me out of the way. Well, time for the usual response so the others behind me can follow my lead. I draw Scarlet Nightmare before firing off a barrage of explosive shells. This makes the scouting party go flying backwards while having crimson shrapnel lodged in their skins. My father and the rest of Team CEBS quickly come out before the rest of the Cardinal members attack. Sade has her spellbook out and is using shield magic on us, and Estrella and Ben are handling the front line alongside my father. I duck behind cover to reload my gunblade, but instead of my regular shells, I load sniper rounds into it. Then I open fire against the Cardinal members.

Most of the members were easy to defeat. However, the blood I see littering the streets is making me sick...No..gotta keep my composure. My thoughts are interrupted when four figures step forward, each surrounded by a strange colored aura. Shoot. These ones look like they're infused with DNA. Black, purple, yellow, and pink. Three boys and one girl. Sadly, they seem to still be in their teens like Team CEBS. I'm getting ready to engage while the rest of my team forms up with me.

"Estrella, you and I will take the yellow one and pink one. Ben and Sade, you fight the other two. Let's go!"

We split into our formation, and Estrella is already engaging the only girl (with the pink aura). The yellow aura boy brings out a strange spiked disc on a chain. I move off to the side, but he unleashes a barrage of bullets! Quickly bringing up a simple magic shield (Thank you Magical Theory!), I realize that each of those spikes on that disc are machine guns. Shoot, that complicates things. He spins that disc inhumanly fast as well...oh I get it...Tiger DNA? The funny thing about DNA auras is that they don't always have the exact color of the animal associated with it. In my case, Phoenix DNA gives off the right color. Glad I read the new documents Mahony sent us a while back.

He rushes forward at me before throwing his disk. I nimbly dodge before switching Scarlet Nightmare's ammo back to the normal explosive shells. So, if this guy has a yellow aura..I'm guessing his speciality would be..BZAAT!

Yep, I knew it was lightning magic. Hrk...That bolt just grazed me, but the left side of my chest is now bleeding profusely. On top of that, I just heard a shriek from Estrella! She comes flying in my direction before landing on the sidewalk. That pink aura girl comes flying at her with a naginata. Crap, this is looking bad..Huh? There's something gleaming in the yellow aura boy's sleeve. Bright orange with a hint of red...Heh. Found my new plan.

I fire multiple shells at his feet, putting him off balance. Then I dash forward while cutting his sleeve open. A Blaze Stone comes flying out, and I quickly snatch it before crushing it in one strong grip.

Oooh...I remember this feeling. The feeling of power. The boy now looks terrified as he desperately fires at me with his machine guns, but the bullets just dissipate as they hit my body. Okay, the last time I used a Blaze Stone, the effects lasted for about three minutes. That's how long I have to end this. I quickly revert Scarlet Nightmare into ring form before using both my hands to create two massive fireballs. Both the boy and the girl panic before I hurl the fireballs at them.

BOOM! They weren't able to dodge them, so they seem to have been blown to pieces. None of them have Phoenix DNA, so they won't revive. Good...Because...I feel...sleepy…

Estrella

Shoot! Chris just passed out from using that Blaze Stone...but at least he took both of those Cardinal members down. I need to help Ben and Sade….oh wait. Better help Chris first. I quickly sit him up against a fire hydrant before running off to find the others. Agh, I'm sore all over from hitting the concrete. Oh! I see Ben and Sade making their way over to me, but Sade is limping… At least Nicholas is there to help support her. Ben notices Chris behind me and demands for an explanation, which I give in full detail.

Ben breathes in relief. Just then, I notice two bodies behind the others. The two Ben and Sade were fighting. Ben walks over to Chris before taking his ring. Ben brings out Scarlet Nightmare, loads two vials from Chris' pocket (are those from chemistry class?), and quickly stabs each of the Cardinal members he fought with Sade earlier. Then he plunges the blade into each of them. Huh? Why is Ben...oh..Chris once told me that he had Scarlet Nightmare modified to drain DNA out of other people to be used as ammunition.

Anyway, we really got sidetracked from a nice evening date with Nicholas treating us out. Nicholas comes up to me before cheerfully patting me on the head.

"Nothing to worry about! Let's get back to the van, and I'll carry Chris if you wish." he asks while holding out his other hand and shoulder. I politely decline...since I want to carry Chris on my back instead. We pick ourselves up, and head back towards the city center where the van (hopefully) is waiting for us.

 _Thirty minutes later…_

Nicholas stops the van outside the Winter Aurora, a high class hotel with a natural hot spring. After getting our room keys, we head to the third floor, and I carry Chris into the room before laying him down on a bed. Ben then tells me that Nicholas, Sade, and he are heading down to the hot spring for a before-dinner soak. Oh I know what he's doing. He wants to give me some alone time with Chris. That's fine, I don't need any distractions while I'm patching up Chris anyway.

Whew. I'm glad to find out that this room has an first aid kit in here. Chris' wounds may heal themselves, but it's still not a good idea to risk an infection. Cleaning out the wound is gross...I then bandage Chris' chest up, along with the burns on his arms and legs. Still, his abs look great once I've taken his shirt off….No! Stop thinking like that Estrella! I'm supposed to be more disciplined than this. Although, I've now seen Chris' well-built legs as well…..Oh shoot! Chris' eyes flutter open, and he slowly sits up.

"Hey Princess. How long was I out?" he mumbles.

"Only for a half hour. Ben and the others are down at the hot springs right now. I fixed you up a bit, so should we relax a bit before dinner?" I reply, and he nods his head in agreement. After getting changed, Chris and I head down to the recreation room. Wow...This place has arcade machines galore….

"Princess! Up for a game of ping pong?" Chris calls me over to a large ping pong table while holding a paddle. Eh, why not? I haven't ping ponged in a while. After picking up another paddle, Chris serves the ball.

Sigh...I lost. Chris beat me by four points. He awkwardly laughs before asking if I want to play again sometime. Reluctantly, I accept his offer before we sit down to discuss Team CEBS' plans for the school festival.

"Okay, so I finished perfecting that spell that can alter clothing color compositions, and I have the perfect song to go along with the festival's theme on my phone! Do you want to try singing the first verse Princess?"

Huh? I thought Chris was to become the band's main vocalist. Oh well...Chris hands me his phone and a lyrics sheet. The title of the song is.."Lost in Thoughts All Alone" (It was an english cover as well.). Isn't this from a game I know? Um….Oh I remember, it's from a 3DS game called Fire Emblem Fates. The game itself has a branching storyline and multiple choices, so it fits the festival theme perfectly! I haven't sung in a while, but lets see if I can do this.

Lost in Thoughts All Alone (English Cover by Amalee)

 _You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,_

 _Like thoughts become a river stream_

 _Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time_

 _To the path, yours to climb_

 _Thou seek the light with an outstretched hand_

 _A divine blade lies before you,_

 _So command the wake of dreams_

 _To restore the world, cut 'way the seams_

 _Join in our prayer, in our song of birthrights and love_

 _Come the sun, illuminate the sky_

 _Pray that we may quell the dark - Light take the throne_

 _Lost in thoughts all alone_

I'm only able to get through the first verse before Chris interrupts me. He happily exclaims at how my voice is perfect for this! Just as we talk for a bit longer though, Sade's voice comes from the recreation room's entrance.

"Hey Sis! Stop making out with Chris over there and come for dinner!"

For goodness sake Sade! Chris and I were just talking! The dinner announcement is greatly appreciated though, and so we both head to the hotel's dining room.

….Um. Why is Nicholas laughing even louder than before? Where are the other patrons in this dining room? There are so many questions going through my head as I try to calmly sit down to dinner. Instead of having the hotel's staff serve us food via trays and such, there is a large buffet table filled to the brim with different foods. There happens to be an alcohol table as well, hence why Nicholas is so loud. Ben seems to be drinking quite a bit as well though….yet he seems sober.

My thoughts are interrupted when Chris drags me over to the buffet table and hands me a plate. Okay...I should probably watch my food intake tonight…..nevermind!

Benjamin

I've just finished my fourth glass of whiskey as Chris and Estrella sit down at the table. Both of them have piled food onto their plates. Chris immediately digs in, and Estrella calmly nibbles away at her pile.

Thank goodness we all have the luxury of celebrating like this. Cardinal is sure to strike again, especially since we've revealed ourselves to them. Maybe I should skip some school to investigate this further. Pfftt! I was just sipping another glass of whiskey when Nicholas suddenly smacks me on the back.

"Hey kid, isn't that your fifth glass? How old are you? Well, I'm guessing you're underage anyway."

Is Nicholas really drunk right now? Because he seems to be talking just fine right now. He thens continues talking with me.

"Cardinal won't take this lightly. We'll need to be ready. I've assessed Team CEBS, and you guys are not ready for this. Mahony told me how you guys have the same genetic abilities, but with what happened with Chris, it won't work forever. I can make a more detailed assessment after training each of you, so be prepared tomorrow when we head out."

Woah. Nicholas is actually serious for once. I see the resemblance between him and Chris now. He quickly switches back to his cheerful nature while asking for more wine, so I return to my whiskey and ponder for a bit.

 _After dinner…_

The rooms at the Winter Aurora are incredibly spacious for a hotel. Well, Nicholas did request some of the biggest rooms in the hotel, along with reserving the whole dining hall for us. I think I know why he was able to do this. The family name.

After learning that Chris was a Ravenmore, I looked into his family history, and it turns out that the Ravenmores were famous for their fighters. Chris is a prime example. The Scarlet Nightmare dates back to the first Ravenmores...which was two hundred years ago! Um, the Scarlet Nightmare doesn't look like it's been in use for that long. Even with proper maintenance, the blade would've at least shown a few rust marks and chips on the blade. Yet the terrifying legacy Chris wields looks as if it was just newly forged. He has Nightbane as well, and both weapons fondly remind him of his mother.

Knock knock!

I'm interrupted from my thoughts when a loud knocking comes from the room door. Upon opening it, Chris, Estrella, Sade, and Nicholas enter. Nicholas immediately asks everyone to sit down, and we comply.

"Something I've wanted to ask Team CEBS is what drives you all? I have a slight idea for my son, but what about the rest of you?"

Now that's a deep question. I don't want to say right now….Oh whew, Chris volunteers to go first.

"Dad, I vowed to follow Mom's path after regaining my memories. Mahony gave me that drive when he told me what Zolo did. I'm not settling for some domesticated life, I want to go out there and fix the world for Mom."

Chris' drive was straightforward and simple. He isn't focused on his family name, and he has developed the resolve to push through life. Nicholas nods in approval before asking Estrella while teasing her by saying how she'll be his daughter in law soon.

"Most would expect me to become part of my family's industry. However, my parents accepted the fact that I wasn't going down that path. Bringing change to the world as a warrior seemed to be the better option. I met Chris as well, and that has given me the strength to push forward."

Nicholas pats Estrella on the head when she's finished. Just like Chris, Estrella's drive is focused on independence rather than a strict path. Her parent's acceptance would be considered rare coming from her family. With both Chris and Estrella's drive being similar, it makes sense why they've come together as a couple. I was expecting Nicholas to ask me next, but he skips to Sade instead.

"Most younger sisters doom themselves by following in their sibling's footsteps. I wanted to become like Estrella, but I knew with my skills, I'd never become as strong as her. So I honed my own talents. Music. By infusing that into my magic, I can use my melodies in a variety of spells. My passion for playing a flute became my strength in combat. Just to be safe though, I learned how to use the quarterstaff. Estrella was planning on teaching me some basic swordplay soon as well."

I completely forgot Sade was only fourteen after that speech. She sounds so..mature. She understands her weaknesses and makes up for them with honing her own abilities. By teaming up with us, her weaknesses are covered up, but she still handle those if necessary. However, the time has come for me to share my drive.

"Everyone else on Team CEBS has such a noble reason for doing this...Families who love them and goals to strive towards. I don't have any of that. I'm just trying to make the most out of my life after abandoning my family. They didn't love me..well maybe deep down they did, but I wasn't content with that. The only family member I know who loves me is my little sister...So my drive is pretty flawed."

Part of me regrets running away. The only reason for that is because I left my sister behind, but I feel mostly liberated from whatever path my parents wanted to force on me. Nicholas seems to ponder about this before saying that he'll be heading off to bed. Everyone one else takes the hint before going about their business. I'm still thinking about my family now though, so maybe a dip in the hot spring would help me collect my thoughts.

Just as I've gathered my towel and robe, I realize something.

Chris' resolve and strength.

Estrella's independance and wisdom.

My bravery and dexterity.

Sade's maturity and passion.

All of these are strong traits that Team CEBS' possesses….but like Nicholas said, we are still not ready for the coming war.

 **Author's Note**

The english cover of Lost in Thoughts All Alone from Fire Emblem Fates was created and performed by Amanda Lee. The song is both on iTunes and YouTube, so check it out!

In a later chapter, the full lyrics will be revealed/sung by Estrella.


	12. Chapter 12: The Uneasy Skies

Sade

Ben didn't look great when Nicholas was talking to everyone. Honestly, I don't feel well either...probably because of that interaction with Cardinal. I've studied enough history to know that this altercation with a terrorist group could escalate into an all-out war between the Predator Units and Cardinal. War is never good. Estrella and I both share the opinion of how war is a great downfall for humanity. Violence. Betrayal.

Sigh...I hate to do this, but it looks like we have no choice. Cardinal doesn't look like the negotiating type. Now, I have a bit of time before I head to bed, so I think I'll work on a little gift for Ben. After meeting his younger sister, I got her phone number, and she just informed me that Ben's birthday is coming up. With hardly any time to come up with gift ideas, I'm gonna have to ask someone for advice, and who would be better to ask than Chris?

"It's open!" comes Chris voice when I knock on his room door. Upon walking in, I notice how he and Estrella are sewing something. It appears to be a white and blue dress with frilly lace. Estrella beckons me over to help, and I happily oblige. I've just started with the next few stitches when both Estrella and Chris mention that this is Team CEBS' idea for Redmiara Academy's festival. Oh right, I hadn't even started on planning for that. Thank goodness these two were thinking ahead. Speaking of which, I need to ask Chris about ideas for Ben's birthday gift.

Chris simply explains how Ben really doesn't like birthday gifts or parties, so he suggests I make Ben a new weapon, just like he did for Estrella. No objections there, but how am I..Oof! Chris throws me a book on weaponsmithing before telling me that's how he learned to make Estrella's new swords. I thank him before returning to my work on the dress….Ow. I forgot that my leg still hurts, so sitting like this really doesn't help. Chris is lucky...His wounds have already recovered, since the bandages he had on at dinner are gone, and there aren't even any lasting scars.

Forcing myself to conceal the pain until I get back to my room, the three of us fixate ourselves on finishing the dress, along with making a special head veil for it as well. The last step is to see how it looks on Estrella, who will be our main vocalist for this performance. Chris and I are just waiting, but I take this opportunity to read through the weaponsmithing book Chris gave me. Now, Ben's fighting style focuses on mobility. That's why Ben uses a pistol instead of a heavier firearm. So I have to make a weapon that compliments his style. Swords are out, no way in heck am I making an axe….Oh I found something! Now let's see…

Just as I start to formulate the weapon, Estrella steps out of the bathroom...and whoa. Her silver hair flows freely as the head veil covers her face, and the dress exposes her right leg, partially showing her undergarments. It's as if this dress was derived from a traditional dancer costume or something. Even so, it captures a distinct beauty. Chris looks dazzled from her appearance, and Estrella looks as if she's suppressing one of her panic attacks. Anyway, if I'm done here, I need to leave and ponder more about Ben's gift.

Back in my room, I sit down at the desk reading over the section I found earlier. Bows and arrows. Something special about Ben's role on Team CEBS is his ability in stealth and guerilla tactics, but with his revolver, he gives away his position after one shot. So if he had a bow as his secondary ranged weapon, it would make it easy for him to conceal himself for a while longer. So I continue reading through the section..late into the night.

Benjamin

Ah...I did partake in the before-dinner soak, but nobody can deny the wonders that a hot spring does on sore joints and muscles. If only I had some whiskey...why am I turning into such an alcoholic? I really need to restrict the indulgence, or I'll become addicted, just like this hot spring.

Maybe I should get out then. Nothing good comes from wrinkly skin after all, so I quickly retreat to the change room to put on my sleeping robe. Then I head back to my room.

I'm walking towards my room when I hear a faint giggling noise. Peering into a door's peephole, I see Estrella making that noise while snuggling up in bed with a sleeping Chris. Heh. I knew Chris would be just fine in his own relationship. Can't say the same for myself...oh well. Marching towards my room, I notice Sade's room light is still on. Isn't she supposed to be sleeping right now? Quickly sneaking up to the door, I see her tinkering with a few branches and strings. Is she making a bow? Maybe she's sick of her throwing knives and wants a change. Whatever, I need some rest…

Walking into my room, I just flop into my bed before immediately falling asleep.

 _Morning comes…_

My phone wakes me up with a text notification, so I groggily grab it before reading the message...and that message makes me feel as if I just drank a triple espresso black. I read it again to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"To Brother, I just found out that mom and dad joined Cardinal. Please help, and make it quick, I'm on an airship heading for some unknown island. I have no weapons."

Guessing that she only had so much time for this message, I immediately get changed before dashing out the door and towards the train station. I need a bullet train to Faygold, stat!

After a frantic train ride, I dash towards Predator Unit HQ's hangar. My Outlaw Class Interceptor must have been repaired after Team CEBS' first air mission. Strangely enough, my ship is already primed to go, along with a squadron of other fighters. Just as I get comfy in my cockpit, the launch command is issued.

Once I'm airborne, there's an audio command to check in through the radio. I'm about to announce myself when someone familiar does it first.

"Christopher Ravenmore, Leader of Team CEBS, primed and ready!"

Chris? Did he follow me? What about…

"Estrella Silva of Team CEBS, moving out!"

"Sade Silva of Team CEBS, ready to supply!"

"Nicholas Ravenmore, formerly of Team CMZN, locked and loaded!"

Looking out of my side windows, I see everyone else in their respective ships. Maybe I should've figured that they would all come along for the ride. No point in turning back now.

"Benjamin Rudemo of Team CEBS, I'm ready to rescue my sister!"

Every fighter is heading for that airship my sister's on. Probably not because of my sister, but I can probably infiltrate on my own accord. First of all, we have to disable a few things on that ship. We aren't above the sea this time though, so a crash landing would probably cause a forest fire or something. Oh! I can see the airship, but it seems to be surrounded by two more frigates. Great, we have escorts to deal with, and it looks like they're already sending tactical fighters at us. Chris tells everyone to prime all weapon systems and raise shields to max strength. I quickly initiate my cloaking systems as the aerial battle begins.  
Observing the fight from a safe distance, Chris and Estrella fly side by side unleashing a volley of missiles while Sade follows close behind to restock their supplies. Nicholas is flying in an Outlaw Class Interceptor as well, but he remains uncloaked and helps the others.

I'm trying to fly towards the main airship's hangar while it's launching fighters. That gives me a small opportunity to sneak inside and rescue my sister before the whole thing is blown up. Oh! I see an opening!

"This is Benjamin, I'm going in! Could use some backup if possible!"

"Copy that Ben, this is Chris. Estrella! Hold the line out here!"

I uncloak as I enter the hangar bay. There are multiple guards who are priming their weapons, but I eject from my cockpit before drawing the Midnight Justifer in glaive form and Betrayal. Firing off multiple rounds, I take out most of the guards before they can even react. Even when they're able to aim at me, Chris' ship comes barreling in before he pops out wielding Nightbane before shooting the rest of the guards.

Better find Cecilia, and fast. I load some fire Exoril rounds into Betrayal while Chris reloads Nightbane. Then we charge into the main bridge before being stopped by two familiar faces. My mom and dad.

Chris quickly demands that I keep going….He has a point. I don't think I can face my parents right now...so I quickly jump over while Chris covers me. Okay, it seems to be a straight path to the holding cells from here, and I need to lay some charges by the reactor.

Christopher

I've never met Ben's parents before. They both look..rather weak. No offense, but the only weapon the both of them are using is a saber. Along with that, I see Cardinal's emblem on both on their shirts. The only thing I need to do here is buy time for Ben so he can rescue his little sister. Besides, I don't want Ben to fight and possibly kill his parents right now. So I put Nightbane away before bringing Scarlet Nightmare out.

Ben's mother charges at me first before slashing at me a multitude of times. Her strikes are easy to parry, but then Ben's father joins in, making my job a little trickier. They're able to land a few hits on my limbs, causing me to bleed a little. Wait..I'm getting a message from Ben. He's got his sister and is heading back towards the hangar via another route. Okay then, time to run! I fire multiple shells at the ceiling to prevent Ben's parents from following me. Then I make a beeline for the hangar myself.

Upon reaching the hangar, I see Ben loading his sister into his ship. We'd better get out of here...BLAM! Great, Ben's parents caught up with us. Just as I'm about to head back and fight them, it's Ben who stops me this time.

"Don't. I have a feeling we'll fight them in the future, when they'll be an actual challenge. Then I feel like I'll be in the right mood to fight them."

Ben's suggestion sounds preposterous, but if it helps him face this adversary, both physically and emotionally, it's a good idea for him to steel his resolve. So we both hop into our ships before taking off, leaving Ben's parents behind.

Ben and I are just about to celebrate when my radar detects two hostile signatures behind us. Shoot...Agh! Compared to their combat skills, their piloting skills are crazy. My ship's magic shields have already been depleted, and my hull is damaged as well. We need to end this.

I quickly call for backup from Estrella and Sade before I hear a loud scream from Ben on the radio channel. Scanning his ship, it looks as if he's just lost his magic shields as well from a missile blast. As luck would have it however, Estrella engages both of our adversaries while Sade hurriedly flies over to resupply our ships with shield energy. I then fly back out to help Estrella, much to the dismay of Sade for my impulsive disconnection from the resupply. Estrella seems to have already forced both of them to retreat, but not before a huge volley of heat-seeking missiles is fired from both of their ships. Crud! Estrella's ship can't take that much damage, and the missiles are too close for comfort...Oh well, I gotta do this!

Everything transpired in a matter of seconds. I flew my ship towards Estrella before the missiles locked onto my ship instead. Before they hit my ship, I eject while bringing out my wings to glide into the sky.

BOOOM! Every last one of those missiles crashes into my Seraphim Class Fighter Plane, shredding it to pieces and having black smoke fill the sky. Though I might've lost my ship, I still give a cheery debriefing to everyone else.

"Ben laid some charges in the airship, and the rest of the ships can take care of the mess. Lets head home!"

Everyone sighs in relief as we all head back towards Predator Unit HQ...but the huge explosion behind us makes us glance back one last time. That airship joins mine on the ground, and is spewing heavy clouds of smoke. Maybe we should get a bigger cleanup crew for that one.

Apart from that...I probably owe Mahony a bit of money for that one.


	13. Chapter 13: An Aria to Begin The War

_A few days later…_

Estrella

I'm glad we had no more Predator Unit missions during our short preparation time for the Redmiara Academy school festival. Everyone else has gotten used to their musical roles (Chris on piano, Ben playing the percussions, and Sade on the SFX machine and violin), I've gotten comfortable with the lyrics, and Chris has mastered our performance's twist. We're just setting up on our designated stage before any patrons arrive...and compared to our first performance, I'm not that nervous. Maybe I'll be more nervous when I'm up on stage dressed in my costume. Speaking of which, we only have ten minutes til showtime. I'd better get dressed…

 _Ten minutes later…_

Okay..breathe in, breathe out. I'm glad Team CEBS was allowed to perform at the beginning of the festival, so we could all walk around afterwards as a team. However, the one comforting sight is that Chris is already on stage setting the piano up. Ben and Sade are close behind him getting everything else setup while I try my best to remain calm. I'm startled when the lights dim, signalling that the performance is about to start. Okay. I make my way towards center stage before the lights come on and the initial music starts to play. Then I sing the first verse, just like that night Chris first gave me the song.

The first verse is all about the decision of "light". This choice in life may seem to be the best, but be warned if there is a darker secret behind it. Sometimes the naivety of an individual causes them to hastily choose this path without considering the consequences. On que, the lights dim before Chris points his hand towards me with his spell. The lights come back on, and I can hear the crowd gasp. Chris changes the lovely white dress and head veil I was wearing into a serene yet menacing dark blue set of the same clothing. Then I proceed to sing the second verse.

Lost in Thoughts All Alone (English Cover by Amalee)

 _You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,_

 _Like thoughts become a river stream_

 _Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time_

 _To the path, yours to claim_

 _Thou seek the dark with an unsheathed blade_

 _Now a white, ivory throne beckons,_

 _So obtain the fate you sow_

 _On this path, be weary, friend an' foe_

 _Join in the tale, in the blight, of conquest and lies_

 _Come the sun, to tarnish in the sky_

 _Vow that we shall tear the light – Dark seize the throne_

 _Lost in thoughts, all alone_

 _May thy chosen path lead way and grace you with virtue_

 _But surely a balance awaits, so be it bliss or pain you gain_

 _Beyond the route-way's end, you'll gain resilience and weakness_

 _The trials, the thorn in your side, becomes the greatest strength in you_

While the second verse includes a short bridge, this is the choice of "darkness". It may not seem to be the best choice, but the benefits of this choice are entirely up to the judgement of the individual. Being cautious on this path is ideal, as the unexpected can happen, but sometimes the risk is worth the outcome. Finally, the reprise of the song. The lights brightly flash, giving Chris a split-second window to change my outfit one last time. It's a combination of both the light and darkness. Dark blue and white. My voice is starting to feel funny, so I'd better wrap this up.

 _Descend into the abyss thou see_

 _Where the hearts of many wander_

 _Quietly, they wish and weave_

 _Placing hope inside their one, pure dream_

 _After the storm stills its wake, may all be blessed_

 _So the fate and fallen can find rest_

 _Your will, the water reflects, so all will know_

 _Your hands brought the morrow_

 _You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,_

 _Like thoughts become a river stream_

 _Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time_

 _To the path, yours to climb_

 _You are an ocean of waves_

I finish taking a huge breath while the crowd goes wild. Then I join my team upstage, and we all take a bow before the lights go off.

After packing everything up for the next performance, I change back into my school uniform alongside Sade, who is gushing at my singing. We then join Chris and Ben to walk around school while trying out some of the student run booths. Ben seems interested in the shooting range, so we head over to observe a little girl trying it out. The light blue haired toddler is holding a cork pistol while aiming for a small teddy bear. She lands a hit, but the teddy bear remains standing. Surprisingly, she still asks for the prize.

"Hey Mister! I hit that bear! Does that mean I get it now?" she happily exclaims.

"No you little twerp! You get anything that falls off the shelf, not what you hit!" he screams back in annoyance.

She looks ready to cry at this outburst, and it breaks my heart. I think Sade went through this whole "scam" thing at festivals, but this is just plain rude. I have half a mind to step in but Chris beats me to it. He calmly approaches the stand before placing some money on the stand.

"So...You get **anything** that falls off the shelf right?" Chris calmly states.

The blond teenager running the stand smirks in amusement as he hands Chris another pistol. I'm sure Chris will..Huh? Instead of aiming for the teddy bear, Chris' aim is way farther to the right. Then I try to ask him what's going on, but Ben stops me and asks me to just watch.

Pop! Chris fires at one of the shelf's support beams, and surprisingly, it makes the whole shelf and its contents spill onto the ground. The blond teenager panics as he runs off (I'm guessing he just needs more merchandise and a toolbox), while Chris gathers everything up. He then hands the teddy bear to the ecstatic toddler before she runs off towards an older women, who I'm assuming is her mom. Chris then comes back to us holding multiple stuffed animals, snacks, and a free BB gun. We each take share of the prizes before Chris whispers something into my ear.

"This is good practice for me if we're planning on having kids later."

That comment made my face turn beet red. Kids? Already? I shake it off before grabbing a panda plushie and a pack of Pocky. Sade seems to look at me curiously as I'm blushing, but I reassure her that I'm fine. Then we explore more of the festival.

Have to say, the food stalls are much better than the "scam" games. I'm munching on a piping hot cheese pizza slice right now, and there's a shaved ice stall not too far from here. I look up to see Chris with a smug look on his face as Ben and Sade groan. Huh? What happened?

"Chris just told us a really corny pun." both of them say at the same time.

"What? Sade was commenting on how those yakisoba stalls operated well, and I just said that they were using their noodle!"

Oh dear...that was pretty bad. Chris is still trying to convince Ben that it was funny, but before I can break into a laugh, an alarm rings throughout the festival grounds.

Christopher

Crap! Is the school under attack? An announcement quickly follows the alarm, answering my question.

"Attention! All students are to evacuate the school in a calm and orderly fashion! The terrorist group Cardinal is attacking Surgh!"

Evacuate? Are they kidding me? I look to my team, and we all agree that there is no way we are running from this. We quickly dash towards the school's armory.

In the armory, we each have a locker where we can store our weapons and other combat equipment. However, a note has been plastered onto each of our lockers. It's from Mahony!

"To Team CEBS. Due to the fact that Cardinal may strike soon, I have left a gift for all of you in your lockers. Good luck. -Mahony Drewstrife"

Upon opening my locker, I pull out a small silver case. Everyone else seems to have one as well...Let's open them! Inside are four orange colored syringes. Oh! These are DNA injections, and each case is labeled for their appropriate syringe. So after changing from my school uniform into my spiked crimson armor and sling both a bandolier and Nightbane on my shoulders. Instead of extra bullets on the bandolier, I holster my syringes. Unfortunately, I realize that if I end up passing out from the syringe, it won't be good, so it's a double-edged sword on my part. Once everyone has geared up, we head outside….and are met with a battlefield.

Cardinal's salvaged airships seem to be mobilizing on Surgh in the distance, and I can see many of their members already coming down in waves. Great. We'll have to split up if we even hope to repel the attack.

"Okay, Estrella, you're with me. We'll head to the town square while Ben and Sade flank from behind. By drawing attention to ourselves as genetic ability wielders, it should divert Cardinal. If not, we should secure the city in the same groups." I take charge as Team CEBS' leader, because if I'm going to chase after my mother, I have to ditch my personal feelings for this. Hopefully I won't lose myself from the blood I'll spill tonight.

Estrella and I reach the town square two minutes later. There's already a large force of soldiers stationed there, so I ask Estrella to help me take them out from range. She readies her dart blaster while I draw my carbine, and then we open fire.

The panic that spread amongst them is absolutely inane. I understand that we've just opened fire, but they could at least put up a fight, as most of them lay dead...Oh..ULP! I retch, but surprisingly nothing comes out. Estrella is looking at me worriedly, but I quickly reassure her before regaining my wits.

Estrella jumps down into the center of the town square while I load a clip of lightning Exoril rounds into Nightbane. Just as I follow Estrella, we've both come face to face with two women.

One of them is familiar. Yuela Yelick, my adopted mother...But the one standing next to her? She looks enraged, but she seems to be pointing towards me.

"You! You're the one who took my son away from me! You took...you took Jared away from me!" She screams in agony and rage. Wait..I remember what happened at Yorthmire Academy with this, and it doesn't take much to put two and two together.

HellFire, the popular idol group...were part of Cardinal.


	14. Chapter 14: War Has Arrived

Christopher

This isn't good….I already have so much blood on my hands, and there are two prime targets right in front of me. How does Ben handle the sheer number of lives he's taken? That's a question I've asked myself many times...So with some effort, I point my blade towards Yuela.

"Yuela. I don't want to soil my hands with anymore blood. If you know what's good for you, you'll surrender right here and now." I calmly demand, and surprisingly, she yields. Jared's mother seems intent on killing me though. So I quickly order Estrella to let me handle this fight, and she should help the others while holding Yuela hostage. She seems a little hesitant to leave me alone, but she follows my directions.

One-on-one. A duel to the death. Jared's mother is holding a long curved spear, but it would be more easily classified as a glaive. However, she quickly twirls it before it transforms into a scythe before charging at me, catching me off guard.

I'm barely able to dodge as she gets a small cut on my stomach. Then I fire off a few explosive shells, which she's able to evade, but a few bits of shrapnel have gotten lodged in her skin. She winces in rage before wildly swinging at me. Her strikes are barbaric, but they are easily whittling my guard down. Blocking is tricky, parrying is out of the question, and dodging will leave me wide open to that scythe. My wounds are also mounting…

However, Ben and Sade arrive from behind, but I yell for them to stay back before taking another scythe slash to the shoulder. I'm being hindered by my injuries now, so I draw a Phoenix syringe out of my bandolier before injecting myself.

A familiar feeling overtakes me as I charge towards Jared's mother with a blazing aura around me. While slashing uselessly against her scythe, I conjure a fireball in my off hand to burn her weapon's handle. CRACK! The wooden shaft bursts into shards, leaving Jared's mother with a small sickle-like weapon. I quickly disarm her with a strong parry, and she falls to her knees while admitting defeat. Good. I only have a little under a minute of my syringe effects left. Jared's mother falls over before bursting into tears. With her exhaustion and wounds now having a serious effect, I can't bear to see her like this anymore. However, she looks at me one last time with a tear-stained face.

"Please...let me join my son at least."

...Her final request is understandable. A parent's love for their children, but this means I'll dirty my hands once again…

No. I understand now...Before, I thought my fear of blood and violence was a sign that I was to avoid killing whenever possible. Now I realize that death...is the only alternative. By doing this, Jared can live in heaven with his mother. Besides, I don't think she's in any condition to be here anymore...Alright then. I'll do it.

"Very well. Please close your eyes." She obeys, and I slice her down with one swoop.

Just as her lifeless body falls to the ground, I pass out.

Benjamin

I'm barely able to catch Chris as he falls over. That look on his face before killing this woman, that's the look I had years ago when I had to kill someone as well. Looks Chris and I are in the same boat now then...but I realize that someone else behind me may not understand the necessity behind it. Sade. She's looking at the corpse of the women as if she could still try and save her. Sigh..she's only a year older than my sister, so I don't blame her for being slightly traumatized by that. She speaks up after inspecting the corpse.

"What's the point of defeating Cardinal if we soak our hands in so much blood?"

Sade has a point, and I talk with her for a bit. Harsh decisions like this are part of life, and while killing Cardinal only drives humanity further into the ground, we need to restore it by holding back when necessary. Such is the cruel way of life…

I seem to have gotten through to her, as we both carry Chris into an abandoned building to treat his wounds...Oh. Most of them have healed up already, but Sade and I should bandage them up regardless. So I quickly pull a medical spray out of a field medicine bag I was carrying with me, and apply it to a few of the scarred areas on Chris' limbs.

Just as Sade and I bind the last of Chris' wounds, his eyes flutter open and he weakly sits up. Then Estrella comes into the building holding a large binder, which she throws onto the dusty floor for everyone to read.

It's a summary of all of the duties we've been assigned for the war.

Team CEBS Duty List

Christopher: Front Line

-Fight up close and personal in battles that have been assigned.

-Maintain tactical positions on the battlefield.

Estrella: Chief Interrogator

-Gather information from prisoners of war.

-Use any means necessary.

Benjamin: Tactical Espionage

-Go solo to gather information deep in enemy territory.

-Capture enemies as prisoners of war.

Sade: Field Medic

-Remain on the battlefield while tending to wounds.

-Compared to Base Medics, you will have a smaller variety of tools at your disposal.

WHIRRLL! We finish reading the document just as a loud whirring sound comes from outside. Packing everything up, we head outside before being greeted by both a giant airship and Mahony. Four tow cables come down for us..so we hop on.

Mahony doesn't say anything to us when we are seated inside the ship. It was as if he knew what was coming. So with heavy heads and even heavier hearts, the airship brings us back towards Predator Unit HQ.

The war...has started. Are we ready?


	15. Chapter 15: Face to Face with Death

_A few weeks later…_

Christopher

When was the last time I've taken a shower? Kinda hard to remember when everyone else smells exactly the same. Oil, tar, and gunpowder. That's the front line for you...Lack of food, water, shelter, and all of the other necessities for living. Even with so many battles though, Scarlet Nightmare hasn't dulled a bit. Nightbane is in bad shape however. I haven't had the time or equipment to properly maintain it. I rummage through my satchel quickly to take stock of what little I have left. Two clips of carbine ammo, and only forty-five explosive shells left in my gunblade. No rations remaining...my canteen's empty…

It doesn't help that out of our fifty front line fighters, we've already lost thirty-three in the first few weeks reclaiming cities and towns from Cardinal. Quickly resting up against a pile of rubble, I bring out my phone...Crap, I only have a small amount of battery life left. It's just enough to view the updates Mahony is sending us.

City/Town Status

Gria City: Secure

Khore: Controlled by Cardinal

Faygold: Secure

Surgh: Secure

Zhens: Controlled by Cardinal

Ephario: Controlled by Cardinal

Polk: Controlled by Cardinal

We only have three places under Predator Unit control...A loud scream causes me to nearly drop my phone.

"Incoming Cardinal members! Battle positions!"

Crap! I draw Nightbane while running for the barricades. We're stationed in the center of Gria City right now, and while I look over the rubble barricades, I see around fifty Cardinal members moving in. We'll be able to hold them off with our numbers and lack of supplies, but just barely. Twenty fighters available including myself and two in the medical tent. After spreading out across the four barricade positions, we open fire.

Bang! Ratatata! Bang! The familiar sounds of gunfire and expended bullets ring throughout the air as we light the Cardinal members up. Once they get too close, our fighters jump over the barricades to engage in close combat. Just as Nightbane gives me the dead man's click, I holster it behind me before drawing Scarlet Nightmare, and then I charge into the fray.

The skirmish was over relatively quickly, but we've suffered a few more casualties. Four deaths and three wounded. At least I didn't have to use any Phoenix syringes (I'm out anyways). Just as the wounded are brought to the medical tent, a familiar sound comes from above, and it's a breath of fresh air. The supply airship.

As the ship touches down, multiple crates of ammo, food, and water are unloaded onto the ground. However, it looks as if a reinforcement ship is coming in as well. Maybe this will be enough to get us through another few weeks...Huh? Why is Mahony on the ship? He steps out with the reinforcements as he lists off the names of the current fighters who are being relieved for a while. Well good for those who are called I guess. He goes through nine names before calling mine. What? I'm getting a break? Oh thank you Mahony!

I'm jumping for joy as I board the airship, and Mahony gives me an amused smirk. I grin back at him, since I'll be able to fix my weapons, replenish supplies, and take a shower.

Plus...I have to visit my beloved Estrella.


	16. Chapter 16: Bonding

Estrella

There's a scraggly blonde man sitting in front of me as I demand to know about Cardinal's defenses in Khore, which is the next city Mahony wants to reclaim. The funny thing is that he's just finished a long testimony and confession of Khore's defenses, my Angel DNA kicks in, and I know he's lying. So I call him out with an intimidating glare.

He finally gives in and lets me know that Khore is guarded by a few airships, two tanks, and around seventy Cardinal members. I send the info to Mahony before heading out into the familiar sights of Faygold.

I'm glad that this place hasn't changed apart from the new border defense walls. However, I notice a large airship approaching the Predator Unit HQ hangar, so I run over to meet with the battlefield retrievals.

Mahony gets off the airship, much to my surprise. So I get my report done and over with in the hangar.

"Ah good. This information is not much on its own, but it will help in our upcoming skirmishes. Thank you Estrella. By the way, how are your parents doing?"

Oh. My parents are fine right now, but they're just shaken from the war and the fact that Sade and I are so heavily involved with it. At least the Silva Family mansion got moved to a secure position in Faygold. Mahony isn't done though.

"Since you've been a great help, you have the time before the Khore skirmishes to relax, since you'll be joining the task force. So to help you relax...there's someone here to see you."

Wait...I think I know who it is. From the airship, a bunch of ragged fighters jump off, but one stands out. Chris! I dash past Mahony to jump into Chris' welcoming arms. He smells of ash and gunpowder but I couldn't care less. The fact that he's gotten a break from the front lines is a miracle, so I'd better savor it while it lasts. We decide to head back to Chris' mansion to relax.

Thank goodness that Faygold wasn't overrun by Cardinal, otherwise Chris' mansion would probably be in ruins right now. Upon entering, Chris asks me to follow him to the back of the mansion. Huh? Chris has never showed me this part of the mansion before. We arrive at a small graveyard...and I see who's buried here. Chris' mom.

"I'm home mom...It's good to see you. Oh! I got think I've introduced you to your daughter-in-law, Estrella. She's my cute little princess." Chris says quietly while kneeling and brushing some leaves off of the grave.

Little? I'm not that much younger than Chris! Sigh...It's nice to meet my mother-in-law however. I only wish that it wasn't like this. So while Chris starts to pray, I kneel beside him before paying my own respects.

"Your son is a wonderful man. I'm honored to have him as my fiancee, and I hope you'll approve of me. Thank you Charrie."

We both conclude our respects before heading back inside, and only now do I realize how horrible Chris smells. I shy away from him while ordering him to take a bath. He awkwardly laughs before heading towards the bathroom, but I was hoping he would be...a little more forward right now. However, this gives me a great opportunity. Quietly following Chris, I see that he's using the mansion's general bath. Hehe...I'll just sneak in...Agh!

Just as I'm planning on joining Chris in the bath, a familiar hand grabs my shoulder. I turn around to see Nicholas chuckling at me.

"I know what you're thinking Estrella, and I'm not gonna stop you. Just make sure I'm not a grandad by the end of this month!"

This comment reminds me of what happened at the Redmiara Academy, and it still makes me blush. Nicholas slaps me on the back before heading towards the pantry (I assume he's going for another nightly drink), and I quickly head into the bathroom.

The sounds of water splashing around are nice and calming, which helps me keep my thoughts in check as I undress. Chris' clothes are here already in one of the laundry baskets, so I just dump my clothes in the one next to him before wrapping a towel around my body. Bold as it may be, I'm not comfortable with being nude just yet.

I step into the large bath before immediately being hit with a blast of steam. The bath is extremely foggy, but I can just make out Chris' figure sitting down in the bath. I cautiously take a single step forward before Chris tilts his head back while blissfully sighing. It takes around two seconds for him to open his eyes...and start freaking out.

"Wha! Estrella? Why? Just...Why!"

His panicking face is pretty cute, but I don't want him like this...so I calmly explain myself.

"I just wanted to wash your back, that's all!"

 _A little while later…_

Chris has dozed off now, and his sleeping face is even cuter than his panicked face. He did calm down while we were bathing at least.

Still, when this war is over, we'll have our wedding.


	17. Chapter 17: A Well-Timed Gift

Benjamin

"Midnight Wolf reporting in. Three enemies ahead of me. Two with rifles and one with a light machine gun. Permission to engage." I speak into my earpiece before receiving permission from Mahony. Then I stalk the group of three before the machine gunner splits off from the group. Heh. Easy prey.

Since he was taking a "bathroom" break, it was easy to sneak up behind him and stab him through the throat. However, the other two will be coming soon, so I draw Shadowhunt, my new longbow. Funny thing is, I didn't craft it. Sade did.

Flashback: Benjamin

Knock knock! A sudden knocking comes from my room door while I'm trying to craft a few more Exoril rounds. Upon opening it, Sade is there holding a large case. She hands it to me before explaining why.

"Happy late Birthday Ben. Since we weren't able to celebrate your birthday last week, I have your present right here. Hope you like it."

Slowly taking the case, it feels relatively light, but I think a little bit of teasing is in order. So I lightly peck her on the cheek before hugging her. She immediately starts stammering out of embarrassment, and quickly walks off like a robot.

Cleaning up the mess on my desk, I open the case to reveal a sleek black longbow. It appears to be made out of dyed iron, and it comes with a quiver of purple tipped platinum arrows. Huh. I think Chris had something to do with her gift idea, but this will come in handy…

Flashback End

I nock an arrow into Shadowhunt before letting it fly towards my quarry. Twip! The arrow flies true, and it hits him in the jugular, killing him instantly. Unlike Betrayal, I don't reveal my position upon firing it, and the ammo is always retrievable. So I quickly make my way over to him before destroying his gun with my knife and pulling out the arrow stuck in his neck. Hm? I hear the other two coming to investigate. Better hide.

I'm just hanging on a tree branch while the two riflemen hurry over to their fallen comrade before panicking.

"Man down! Report this to the boss, Drake was just killed by...an arrow?" the first one screams out while his buddy presses a button on his earpiece.

"Boss, Unit#12 was out patrolling the outskirts of Khore, and we have one KIA. Investigating now...Understood. We're moving out, and we'll be on the lookout for the backup."

Backup? Yes...bring more lambs to the slaughter. In fact, after taking these two out, I should make it **interesting** for the others coming. I nock two arrows into my bow before firing at both of the riflemen. Both arrows hit them right between the eyes, killing them instantly.

Only then do I slink into the cover of the trees before transforming into my Wolf Form. The backup arrives. Four riflemen and three shotgunners. Too easy, I skulk behind the shotgunners before rushing them. It's pathetic on how they stay paralyzed by fear, so I easily finish them before they're able to call for their allies. Reverting back to Human Form, I holster Shadowhunt behind me before drawing the Midnight Justifier. Now the riflemen have caught onto me, so I have to block a few rifle rounds before I draw Betrayal to fire off three rounds of my own. Two of them hit their mark while the other one clips a tree. Ducking behind a tree, I quickly reload Betrayal before firing at the other rifleman. He's able to land a hit on me before I shoot him through the heart. Agh, it stings. Ironically, it's my time to check in with Mahony.

"Midnight Wolf to HQ. I've cleared out a patrol on Khore's borders. All hostiles terminated, and I've only sustained a small wound. New orders?"

"Copy that Midnight Wolf. The Khore strike starts tomorrow, so rest up and get to a field medic to have that wound treated." comes Mahony's simple response from the radio.

I head back to the small forward base camp near Khore, where most of the main force is gathering. However, there's one person who stands out. A person I have to thank for my successful skirmish today. Sade.


	18. Chapter 18: The Past is Gone

Sade

I've just finished tending to another three bullet wounds, but when I call for my next patient, I'm surprised to see Ben.

"How's it going Sade? I just have a flesh wound on my shoulder, but Mahony told me to get it treated." he explains.

"Of course Ben! Even the smallest cuts can lead to serious infection after all. Let me just clean it out first."

So I open my bag to reveal a selection of different bandages, medicinal sprays and spreads, and so many other medical devices. I grab a roll of bandages and some hydrogen peroxide. Grabbing a gauze pad, I soak it before cleaning out Ben's wound. He winces in pain, but tries his best not to twitch. Then I bind it up before tying a firm knot.

"Thanks Sade. I need to get ready for tomorrow's operation now, so I'll see you around. However, I left something in your tent. Hope you'll enjoy it." Ben said before stalking off towards the barracks. Hm. I'm curious to see what Ben has as a present for me, so I make my way towards my personal tent (one of the benefits of being a field medic).

Upon reaching my personal tent, I see a case resting on my cot. It's much bigger than the case I stored Shadowhunt in before giving it to Ben...so what is it? A rifle? I'm not great with firearms, so this isn't really my thing. Oh well, might as well open it...Woah.

An elegant rapier lays in the case. The diamond blade shines bright blue while the hilt is emerald with a ruby finish. Engraved on one side of the blade is the name Azure Edge, and on the other side, there is a small passage of text.

"Do not draw this blade to bring terror. Protect yourself and others who cannot with it."

It's a noble message. I only wish that I didn't even have to use it against others anyway or another. Just as I sheath the blade by my side, the base alarm comes on!

"Warning! Fallen Phantoms and Agony Binders heading towards the base camp! All personnel prepare for battle!"

Not again! This is the fifth attack this week! Better get ready then...I draw Swan Song while attaching the extension, then I charge out of my tent towards the front gate. Already, I see a few of our soldiers are already injured. A few Fallen Phantoms are already trying to finish them off...Not if I can help it! I conjure a few shining magic notes before sending them at the Fallen Phantoms, and the magic easily cuts them into ribbons. Then I quickly check in with the wounded. Hm...their wounds are grave, but I can probably heal them in a jiffy.

The sudden shout of "Watch out!" broke me from my thoughts, and I notice one Fallen Phantom charging at me. I hit it with Swan Song, but it more or less enraged the shadow creature. So I quickly split Swan Song into two before holstering it in it's case. However, I quickly regretted not having Azure Edge out earlier, since the Fallen Phantom is able to get a swipe across my leg.

Agh. At least it's only a slight wound. I draw my new rapier before darting forward and stabbing the Fallen Phantom through its left eye. It dies in a matter of seconds, but I really need to come up with a strategy with this weapon. Two more Fallen Phantom arrive to finish me off, but I quickly reach into my belt pouch and pull out two throwing knives. Hurling them with precision, the two Fallen Phantoms now slump to the ground each with a knife in their head.

"Sade!" comes a familiar voice. I turn to see Ben running towards me, and he looks rather worried.

"Geez, even with Azure Edge you aren't suited for close range. Thank goodness you have those throwing knives." he says in a father-like fashion.

"Thanks "Dad"." I pout, much to his amusement. Then I peck him on the cheek for good measure. He sputters before I thank him for the gift, and run out onto the battlefield.

There are more wounded to tend to after all, and many more to protect…

Where did our old life go?


	19. Chapter 19: The Khore Strike

Morning arrives...

Christopher

Yawn...Well, today's the day of the strike operation on Khore. I'd better get all of my supplies ready...Hm? Estrella's clinging to me again...Yeesh, I'd love to stay like this for longer, but Estrella needs to get up as well, so I lightly pinch her cheek.

"Hm..five more minutes dear…" she moans. Wait a minute...why is she only wrapped in a towel? Did we...no. I clearly remember last night. Estrella just bathed with me, and then she fell asleep in my bed...right? Nevermind. I need to get to the Predator Unit HQ Forge, but I'll just leave a note for my princess.

It's 6:04 AM right now. The operation briefing isn't until 8:30 AM, so that gives me a good chunk of time to restock my supplies. Upon walking into the forge, I see others using the newly upgraded machines to create weapons and ammunitions. There's an empty station over in the corner, so I head over while grabbing a material grab bag from the community table.

Upon opening the bag, I find a surplus of five different metals, and I use the material listing chart to identify each metal and their purposes.

The first one I pull out is familiar and well known. Exoril, the multi-element metal. This grey metal is used in different types of magical and elemental ammunitions.

Next, Primil. A pink-colored metal designed for use in firearm parts. They also make good bullet casings.

Then, I pick up a box of two metals that are crucial to my gunblade. Cadmogen and Destrous. The former makes the shell casings for Scarlet Nightmare, while the latter is turned into a powder before being injected into the shells.

Finally, I pull out a vial of liquid Gelogen. Shoot. This stuff is only used as a binding agent for fixing chipped or broken blades, and Scarlet Nightmare is still as razor sharp as the day it was forged. Oh well.

I quickly get to work, using one of the advanced machines to create one hundred shells for Scarlet Nightmare at a time before looking over a collection of vials. DNA vials. Three vials, one being Tiger DNA from Cardinal's first strike, one being Angel DNA that Estrella gave me from a syringe, and the last one being Wolf DNA that I got my hands on from Ben. The only problem is that I have to guess which one has which type of magic. I remember that the Tiger DNA was infused with lightning magic, but the others are still a mystery. Angel DNA would be..holy magic? Oh well, I'll just experiment on the battlefield.

An hour later, I've made Exoril rounds for Nightbane, and I have a surplus of crimson shells for Scarlet Nightmare. I've also fixed some of the damage on my crimson armor...but I realize that I forgot something extremely important before leaving the house. Growl….Food. I didn't have breakfast after all. Nevermind...I'll just get some rations on the dropship. Speaking of which, I'd better check in with Mahony.

I walk into Mahony's office to see him getting a combat suit and a mahogany longbow ready. Huh. I didn't know that he was going to be joining this operation. He turns around to greet me before handing me a silver case. Ah good, I didn't have any Phoenix syringes left, so this helps a bunch. Mahony also hands me a mission document before I leave.

Alright then, wonder if Estrella's up yet?

Estrella

Oh crap! I overslept! Huh? A note from Chris?

"Morning Princess! I didn't want to wake you too early, but I hope you won't show up late for the operation! See you there!"

Sheesh. I'd better get ready then...achoo! Brr...it's cold...or maybe that's because I'm only wrapped in a towel right now. Anyhow, I don't need to visit the forge or anything, so I should just get some breakfast.

Oh dear. From the lack of any signs of cooking in the kitchen, I can only assume that Chris skipped breakfast. Time to do what wives always do if their husbands are hungry! I quickly put together a box with pork cutlet sandwiches before heading back to my room to prepare my supplies and armor.

After putting on my cloak, armor, and dart blasters (I bought another one last week), I sheath my blades by my side before heading out the door towards Predator Unit HQ.

I arrive at the hangar where all of the dropships for the operation are being prepared, and I see Chris sitting on an empty ammo crate looking at his phone. I start to walk towards him, but suddenly stop when I notice Chris wincing in pain...Did he hurt himself? Oh no wait, he must be starving. Quickly walking over to him, I hold the sandwich box in front of his face...and Chris immediately grabs it before opening it and devouring half the box.

Casually sitting next to him while swiftly slipping a sandwich out of the box, I nibble a little before Chris sheepishly looks at me.

"Uh...thanks Princess. Sorry for the...display." he mutters. I reassure him that it's fine. This is what makes Chris who he is. Apart from that, it looks as if the briefing is about to begin. Chris and I stand up before heading over to the center of the hangar where Mahony is addressing a crowd of armored soldiers. We stand at the back ranks before Mahony makes an announcement.

"We will have one of our newest Predator Unit Teams try their hand at leading squadrons of ten in today's operation! Team CEBS! Two of them are already at the Khore border base, but I would like to get Christopher Ravenmore and Estrella Silva up here right now please!"

Woah. I wasn't expecting that...so Chris and I are going to be leaders of squads. We both have ten members, and both squadrons consist of four Falcons, two Swans, two Wolverines, and two Parakeets. Oh dear...I've never led a squadron before. I look at Chris right now in panic before he steps up for both squads.

"Alright, listen up! The only information we have on Khore's defenses are the aesthetics. No weak points, but we are not without advantages! What we lack in knowledge, we make up for in spirit! Am I right!?" he yells in a commanding tone before everyone else goes "Ohrah!"

"We all have family, friends, and comrades who care dearly for us. If we keep them in our hearts, our resolve will never shatter! Let's move out!" Chris finishes before the dropships beckon for us, and we all hop aboard. The flight should take a bit, so I'd better do my pre-battle checks. Both of my dart blasters are fully loaded and I have a belt full of special darts...but I have something that I still haven't used yet. My Angel syringes. With extensive research, I learned what each syringe for Team CEBS does.

Chris' Phoenix syringes send him into some kind of "Hyper Mode". He's completely invincible while in this mode, but it only lasts for around three minutes, maybe five if Chris is lucky; but the big problem is that he'll pass out after it runs out.

My Angel syringes send me to some celestial plain where my wounds recover rapidly, and through observation, when I disappear, there's a giant blast of thunder in the area. There doesn't seem to be any downsides, apart from the fact that I can't see what kind of situation I'll be teleported back into.

Ben may have the most dangerous side effects after injection, but the results are shocking. He goes into a crazy frenzy in his Wolf Form ripping through anything in his way. Unfortunately, that includes allies. He's at least courteous enough to let us know when he's going to use one at least.

I've never seen Sade use her syringes. Maybe it's because she's scared, but I have prevented her from doing so for a reason. With effort, these brews called Fairy Dew Elixirs can enhance her genetic abilities, whereas the injections will allow her to communicate with...spiritual beings for a certain period of time.

RIINGG! The airship alarm goes off, which signals that we're above the base camp. The door opens before both Ben and Sade board with their squads. Sade gives me a tight hug while Chris and Ben fist bump to greet each other, but it looks like Ben's squad only consists of Wolverines while Sade only has Parakeets. That reminds me, I should check the mission document.

Reclaim City (Khore) Operation

Leader Team: Team CEBS

Christopher Ravenmore: Balanced Squad (10 Members)

Estrella Silva: Balanced Squad (10 Members)

Benjamin Rudemo: Infiltration Squad (5 Members)

Sade Silva: Support Squad (4 Members)

Alright, I think we're ready.

Benjamin

RINNG! That's the ready up alarm. Everyone within the dropship plants a hand on the safety bar above before the door opens to reveal Khore. The city...looks ruined. Cardinal really did a number on it. Anyway, since my squad is the Infiltration Squad, we have to move in first. Grabbing a parachute, I jump out while ordering the rest of my squad to follow.

We land on the outskirts and quickly split into three groups. Three groups of two including myself. I sneak along the wall with my partner, Tobias. I've never met him or seen his combat ability, so this is going to be risky. Oh wait...two guards ahead. I quickly scanned the mission document, so I know what to do. Terminate all hostile targets. Drawing my bow, I ready an arrow while skulking through some bushes. Tobias moves ahead with his saber waiting for my signal to attack.

With one simple finger motion, we both silently kill our targets before slipping into the city. Luckily, Cardinal doesn't have the supplies or the backing that the Predator Units provide, so they don't have proper security besides regular guards. Hm...that being said, it doesn't look like there are many guards around. Something's not right about this, so I quickly radio Mahony.

"This is Midnight Wolf to the HQ dropship, respond please." I start off.

"HQ reading you loud and clear, what seems to be the problem?" comes the static-like response.

"The lack of resistance is suspicious...an-" Just as I try to explain, a loud barrage of noise starts. Crap, I know those sounds! Anti-air guns! Cardinal must've been setting them up in preparation to fight off our assault...and they needed all of their men to do so! However, that makes them an easy target for my squad. With the signal dead on my radio, I toss it to the side before Tobias and I make our way towards the gunfire.

We reach the AA gun installment quickly, but not before two dropships were downed. Hopefully none of them were carrying the rest of Team CEBS…? My phone buzzes to reveal a message from Chris.

"Status update! We've landed outside of the drop point to avoid the anti-air bullets. Moving in to back you guys up, see you soon!"

Thank goodness. Anyway, we'd better destroy those guns. Tobias hands me a small bag of C4 before moving along a shelled building. I follow him towards the guns, and he immediately moves in for the kill...Oh crap, wait!

BLAM! One bullet. That's all it took...to end his attempt right there. Sniper got him. To think that I forgot to check the perimeter for defenses so easily sickens me. I quickly take cover before firing Betrayal at the sniper's nest. No good. He's ducked behind cover already...Luckily, two of my squad members have just arrived with supply bags. I open one up pulling out a grenade, and lob it towards the sniper's nest. BOOM! The position blows up, alerting the rest of the soldiers. Alright then...let's get em!

Christopher

We've just arrived at the anti-air platoon, but it looks like Ben and his squad have already sorted it out. Mahony is just checking in with everyone else right now...huh? Where's Ben? Oh there he is! Why's he sitting off on a cornerstone? I walk over, but he seems to be down.

"Why...I've stopped being such a loner after all those years. Now this is what happens? I can't lead a squad?" he spouts.

Sigh...Ben. I sit next to him on the curb, and I immediately speak up.

"Ben. Not everyone can lead well. Considering your circumstances, I wouldn't expect much. No offense, but with your previous solo missions before Team CEBS was formed, and the strife between you and your family...It makes sense. So pick yourself up for now, and we'll work on it later." I comfort him before picking him up back onto his feet. At least he stops moping and puts his serious face back on. That's good, since we still have to flush Cardinal out of this city.

Ben draws his glaive before running over to the rest of our team. Looks like he's back to normal...but for how long?

* * *

The operation led us to a large building full of Cardinal members, where we had to fight towards the roof...and surprisingly, there's no one up here. Just a bunch of scattered documents and such are lying all over the floor. Most of our forces are currently inspecting the various papers, but after looking over a few of them, I notice that they point towards a city we haven't really paid attention to. Ephario. A city on the borders of Attaria, and the documents are talking about...something called the Phantom Region…

What is this? I bring it to Mahony, and his eyes seem to widen at the papers in my hand.

"The Phantom Region...Of course. That has been the cause of all the psionic disturbances we've encountered...but what's the connection?"

I don't know much about the Phantom Region, but if Cardinal is still stationed in Ephario, could that mean that…Oh no.

"Cardinal is planning to unleash all of the monsters within the Phantom Region!"


	20. Chapter 20: A Monster's Origin

Estrella

Team CEBS is now heading towards Ephario. Mahony has explained everything about the Phantom Region.

"The Phantom Region is where magic originated from. To put it simply, that place is the whole reason we can use magic! However, with the years going by, that place under Ephario became out of control. No one goes down there without the risk of magic overload. If we send the whole force down there, the combined magic power of everyone will lead to a giant explosion! So, who's up for going down there?" he had listed the risks, but we were ready.

Oh, Ephario's coming into view and...Crap. From the smoke clouds rising and the explosions going off in the distance, I can only imagine that Cardinal has started already. We'd better get moving then. I put on a parachute before Chris signals us to drop.

Landing on the ground, we charge into the city, coming face to face with a few Cardinal members...but their eyes. They're glowing and purple. Have they been influenced by the magic coming out of the Phantom Region? Nevermind, we'll be like that if we don't hurry up!

We all charge forward, taking each Cardinal member out in a swift and relatively easy manner before reaching a large crater area. The crater is emanating a bright purple glow, just like those eyes from Cardinal.

I feel that magic power...we have to get in there. Chris is about to issue another order, but Ben immediately charges in towards the glow, shocking the rest of us.

"Ben! Stand down!" screams Chris, but it's too late. One of the Cardinal members draws a rifle before loading a black syringe into it. Oh shoot! I try to warn Ben, but the Cardinal member has fired it at him. It impales Ben right in the stomach, and he falls over.

Ben slowly got back up, much to our relief...Wait. Ben's transformed into his Wolf Form! Worse than that, he's acting even more brutal than he would be after a DNA injection! Good news, he's attacking Cardinal. Bad news, we'll be ripped to shreds as well if we don't move! Chris signals us to charge past Ben.

"He'll catch up, but we can't give him three more targets right now! Move towards the glow!"

We all reach the glow before it engulfs us all in a bright light, blinding us. When the glow fades, the sights of Ephario have disappeared. Instead, we're surrounded by dark mountains and purple plains of similar colored grass. Oh wait, what about Ben? Sade seems to be checking him over, and Chris seems ready to strike at any moment.

"It's okay guys...I'm good for now. Just wondering what the hell was in that syringe besides Wolf DNA." he mutters. The bigger problem is where we are right now though! There are already groups of Fallen Phantoms, Agony Binders...and Embertaurs. Great...a full plethora of monsters, and there are still more spawning out of these glowing cracks in the ground. We all draw our weapons before forming up, and then we open fire while slowly pushing forward.

The fear of being overrun couldn't be greater right now. Each time we fell a monster, three more pop up in its place! There's no way we'll be able to win like this!

"We have to find the source of these monsters and take it down! Only kill what you have to, and conserve your energy!" Chris orders before loading another magazine into his gunblade. He's right. If we keep this up, we'll exhaust ourselves...which will lead to our downfall.

Instead of constantly fighting, we search for openings. There! I see what looks like a palace up ahead! We've gotta make it there! After five more minutes of fighting in desperation, we tumble through the palace doors while Chris shuts the door behind us. We quickly recover before bracing the door...but nothing tries to charge through the doors. Did the monsters give up? No. Those things don't give up, their wills are controlled by magic...or someone…

"Chris, I'm betting whoever rules this palace controls the monsters outside. Let's find them fast so we can get out of here somehow!" I suggest, and Chris nods his head in agreement.

Christopher

Alright, we need to find this control source and take it down...we just have to get through this room up ahead. Charging in, I was expecting some kind of security to come online or something...but instead, we've entered a hallway where multiple vats line the walls. Each of them hold various types of magic abominations. All three of the monsters we faced outside have multiple mutations in here...and they all have labels. Ones that explode into acid, enhanced strength, etc.

What is going in here? That's the question that both my team and myself are asking, but the only way we're finding answers is to push onward. It's strange though, since these monsters seem to be genetically adapting, just like us...this doesn't bode well. Huh? Oh crap! The others moved on without me! I quickly dash towards the hallway I last saw them in, but another sound distracts me from the opposite hallway. It sounds like...pained moaning. Estrella? No...too high pitched. I may regret this, but I'm gonna check it out.

Woah. I've just located the sound...and it's a beautiful raven black haired woman in a containment cell (I avert my eyes for a moment since she's only in undergarments). She's hooked up to a bunch of tubes, and they seem to be sucking some kind of glowing purple liquid out of her! I quickly run over to the containment vat before observing a screen next to it.

Magic Reserves

Vat#001: 13%

This doesn't look good. Thirteen percent must mean this woman has had most of her magic drained from her body, so I quickly draw Scarlet Nightmare before smashing the vat open. Quickly hitting a button on the screen beside me, all of the tubes detach from various places on her body. I catch her just in time...and she opens her eyes before weakly looking at me.

"Thank you...for helping me..ugh." she starts, but eventually falters. Instead of trying to speak again, she beckons me closer with her hand. I move closer, and she suddenly presses her forehead to mine! A searing pain throbs through my head as I fall over onto my back before passing out.

….Hm..ugh. I open my eyes before sitting up in a completely empty landscape. There's no one around...except for the raven haired woman I saved earlier, who is hovering above me right now. She's more modestly dressed now at least.

"My apologies for doing that so suddenly, but that was the only way I could save myself." she speaks in a serene tone.

"Of course, but you never introduced yourself Miss." I reply while standing up on nothing. She introduces herself as Noelia, the Goddess of Dreams. A Goddess? Wait, she's one of the Goddesses of Magic that rule over Attaria's magic? Was she the main power source for those magic abominations outside the palace?

"My magic was forced out of me by my sister to control the monsters outside. Now that you've freed me, maybe I can help you defeat her...but on one condition. You bring me back to the Shrine of Magic on The Golden Chain so I can bring news to my family." she explains. Her request is reasonable since family is very important, even for a goddess I guess. I want to ask more questions, but a blinding light shines as I regain consciousness.

The pain in my head is gone...but so is Noelia. I don't see her anywhere! She said she saved herself by doing...whatever to me. I look around frantically, but suddenly her voice comes out of nowhere!

"Are you going to just flail around or are we finding my sister?" she questions. I have no idea where she is! Then I look at my reflection in the broken glass of the containment vat...and there I am...with a blue eye and a pink eye. It dawns on me now...Noelia has...taken residence in my body.

AGH! That's creepy!


	21. Chapter 21: Our Greatest Fears

Estrella

Well, at least the hallway we've chosen seems to provide a straight path somewhere. Ben is the first to enter into the room ahead before I follow with Sade behind me...Wait, where's Chris? I'm just about to turn back around and find him, but a sadistic voice comes from the end of the room.

Facing the room once again, I notice a blue haired woman at the end of the room sitting on a throne wearing a very skimpy nightdress. That's kinda creepy. It's as if she's trying to seduce us...or at least the one male in our group.

"Well...looks like three new toys have finally arrived. A warm welcome to the Castle of Dreams!" she laughs out in that same tone I heard before facing her. Huh? I can't read her intentions for some reason... However, she introduces herself as Pyra, but immediately throws two dark orbs at Ben and Sade!

Sade immediately throws a shield magic spell up, but the orbs easily go through it before engulfing both her and Ben within the orbs...and they fall asleep almost instantly. I draw my blades before facing Pyra ready to slice her next projectiles into pieces. Her next dark orb flies at me, and I slash it in half...but it splits and forms two...then four...and it splits into ten before they converge on me. I'm hit by multiple dark orbs before feeling extremely drowsy. I pass out.

* * *

Upon opening my eyes, I'm back on the surface of Ephario...but something's strange. My chest is bloodied, and there's smoke and crashed dropships all around me. I pick myself up, but then I notice a group of people lying on the ground, and they're bled white. Most of them are regular soldiers I don't recognize, but I see Mahony! Quickly scrambling over, I notice that he has a variety of metal rods sticking out of his body with his longbow resting broken on the ground next to him.

No...how could this happen!? I just saw him an hour ago...Ah! I look at more of the corpses, more of my family and friends are revealed in gruesome fashion.

My parents had died in each other's arms, their lower bodies vaporized by magic bolts.

Ben had fallen on top of a large stone spike, where the stone pierced right through his chest.

Sade laid next to me, where her armor was shredded and her body was covered in cuts that were bleeding profusely...but she was long gone already.

I'm already throwing up and crying my eyes out...but one last body lies in the distance. Chris. I drag myself over to him before turning his face towards me...and his lifeless blue eyes stare back into my soul. My vision is going blurry now, but I can make out one thing...he's wearing the pendant I gave him on our first date together. Just as I reach out to grab it, it shatters into pieces. I break.

NOOOOOO!

Benjamin

One minute I'm fighting a succubus-like woman, and now I'm in Khore...Why? My thoughts are cut off with a sudden explosion. Chris is standing next to me, but he's not doing anything...Woah! There's a whole squadron of Predator Units looking up at me! Oh geez...am I supposed to lead them? Me? Nevermind, I gotta do it right now!

"Alright! Everybody take your standard formations and we'll head to the front lines!" I order, but nobody salutes or responds in kind. Instead…

"You? We're waiting for Chris to give us a **proper** order."

"Stand down you failure!"

Huh?...Why are they acting like this? Turning to Chris, he's still frozen like a statue. However, I turn around to notice my family...My mother, father, and Cecilia are all standing there…

"I'm really sorry for you Brother. Maybe I could play with you to make you feel better?"

"Your mother and I knew you'd fail like this...We don't need Cecilia going down the same sad path you did. Goodbye, Benjamin."

As they turn around...I fall to my knees and for the first time in awhile...I start to tear up.

"What have I done…"

Sade

Blood. Explosions. Turmoil. Those are some of the consequences of war...and they are never pretty. Some people say that having a past full of wonderful childhood memories will provide a retreat for those who become caught up in a life of war. I never believed that, and maybe that's why I grew up in a relatively normal fashion. I chased my dreams, found my talents, and met new friends. Team CEBS became close very fast after all.

Now I'll just say it. Those who told me to develop that past...Fuck you. Because upon trying to fight that revolting woman, I'm now surrounded by everything I hate about war. My childlike memories? They aren't helping me. And the worst part? I'm alone. Alone to deal with it without any help...Oh wait! I see Estrella! She has her blades drawn, and is facing a city where bombs are being dropped. I slowly approach her before she turns to look at me with a rage-filled face.

"Sis? Are you okay?" I ask, but those are the only words I can get out before she charges at me. Instinctively, I pull out Azure Edge before barely parrying both of her strikes.

Why is Estrella attacking me?! Dealing with the war is one thing...but fighting my sister? I can't do this! I can't..HGH!

Just as I hesitate, Estrella pierces my chest with both of her blades before kicking me off onto the cold, wet earth. I seemingly fall into a pit...a bottomless pit.

"How..could Estrella do something like that…"

* * *

Christopher

I've just caught up with the sounds of Team (C)EBS fighting when I notice all three of my teammates trapped in dark orbs, and they're all unconscious. There's a blue haired woman standing by each of them, observing them with a keen eye...as if she were getting ready to finish them off. I'm about to scream at her...but Noelia sends me a message via telepathy (wait, is it telepathy when they're a part of you?).

"That there, is Pyra. My older sister, and the Goddess of Nightmares. She likes to toy with people before sapping their magic energy...just like what she was doing to me in that vat. Be careful...I hope you'll escape your greatest fear, whatever it is." she explains, and then I try to sneak up towards Sade to pop her bubble...but Pyra spots me.

"Oh...another toy? Trying to save your friends are you?" I turn to see her preparing to throw one of those dark orbs at me...but I think I'll be able to handle it...maybe. The orb engulfs me as I lose consciousness.

I'm surrounded by darkness. Around me...a large pool of blood...and the corpses of people I've killed. Many Cardinal members. Random thugs. Corrupt business officials. Jerad's mother...and Zolo Yelick. The blood is already enough to churn my stomach and force me to throw up...but I remain calm.

After staying completely still for a few seconds...I feel a strange presence. Pyra pops into the dream and is hovering above me.

"Impressive. Maybe I'll make you my new body!" she cackles before charging towards me. However, Noelia pops out of my body in a...ghost form before confronting her sister.

"Forget it! He's already hosting me Pyra. You stay away!" Noelia screams while holding up a magic shield around me, stopping Pyra dead in her tracks. She seems to become furious, but I calmly reach towards the ground while dabbing my fingers into the pool of blood beneath me. Holding the red thick and sticky liquid, I make a tribal sign across both of my cheeks...and a bright light engulfs the darkness.

This is how to escape Pyra's nightmares. Confront one of your greatest fears, take control of it, and harness it's power. I may still have a violent reaction to blood and gore. The past will still haunt me no matter what...but that is a weakness I have.

And a weakness is just one more reason to keep getting stronger!


	22. Chapter 22: The End of the Hunt?

Christopher

Just as the light clears, I break free from my nightmare. Pyra is sent flying back into a pillar from the feedback of my escape, and she's trying to recover right now. Taking the chance, I rush over to Estrella's orb before throwing myself inside her nightmare.

I awaken to see Estrella crying and screaming in front of me. When I gasp loudly, she immediately takes notice before looking me over.

"C..hris? You're..ALIVE!" she screams in delight while throwing her arms around me for a bone crushing hug. While being coddled by Estrella, I notice that the phoenix pendant I was wearing had been shattered, and that there are dead corpses of the rest of Team CEBS and Estrella's family everywhere. Nevermind, this is a dream world...I've gotta get Estrella out of here. So I grab her shoulders before bringing Estrella back to her senses.

"Estrella! This is a dream! A really nasty dream! You'll only get out of here if you confront your fear! Hurry up and...say goodbye to everyone else." I quickly mutter, and she looks at me with swollen eyes and a tear-stained face in agony. Even though it takes her an effort, she's able to pay her respects before the same bright light engulfs both of us.

Another orb is destroyed...and the feedback damage seems to be stacking up as Pyra writhes in pain on the cold crystal floor of the palace throne room. I see Noelia in ghost form standing off to the side, so I quickly ask her if Pyra can induce nightmares on us anymore.

"No! You guys are going to be fine with the damage you've dealt by conquering her nightmares! I'll keep an eye on her just in case, but keep using my power to take those nightmares down!" she replies.

Estrella and I look at each other...she looks a bit shaken, but I order her to help Sade while I charge into Ben's nightmare.

Back in Khore this time. I'm standing in front of a squad of Predator Units, and Ben is crying on his knees right next to me. Oh...this nightmare is a callback to what actually happened in Khore. Instead of trying to comfort Ben, I turn towards the crowd before screaming at them.

"Why is Ben on the ground like this!?" I demand answers, and the crowd yells back with comments on how Ben is unfit to lead them. I see. Ben is still relatively self conscious about losing just one soldier...kind of strange for him to be stuck on it for so long, but I'm not going to judge him for that.

"I'm not saying he's the best leader in the world, but he's trying his best! How do you think it feels to be up here, trying to inspire everyone with words alone? Ben is trying his best with his circumstances! The best you could do is try to listen to him before judging him so badly!" I scream before lifting Ben back onto his feet. Now I encourage him to try again, which he does, and the bright light engulfs the world once again…

Popping out of the familiar dark orb, Ben comes to his senses before I notice that Estrella is still entrapped in Sade's orb, but Pyra has recovered from some of that feedback...so we have to fight her now. At least she's unable to cast those dark orbs. I hope Estrella hurries it up.

Estrella

I've just entered Sade's nightmare...and why am I on top of a cliff? Oh crap! Sade's at the bottom of the cliff, and she's lying down in a pool of blood! Wait...this is her dream...so it should be showing me one of her greatest fears. Is it the same as mine? Wait. I'm holding my blades, and they're covered in the same colored blood.

Oh my god. Sade's greatest fear is being killed by someone she loves dearly (or that's the idea I'm getting from this).

I attempt to scale down the cliff towards Sade, but I lose my footing less than halfway down the cliff. THUMP! After that nasty spill, my body started to ache badly before I was able to drag myself over to Sade's body. She looks at me with tear-filled eyes while moaning painfully.

"You betrayed me. You killed me! What else could you possibly want?" she moans out. However, I bring my face close to hers without much resistance, and whisper to her.

"I know you'd never forgive me, if this was real. This is your greatest fear. Wake up!" I explain, which gets her to try and wake herself up, but in her "weakened" state, she's unable to do so.

Sigh...I don't want to do this, but I have no choice. Tapping into my Angel DNA, I give Sade an infusion of my life energy. The feeling couldn't be more awkward, but the sacrifice is enough for Sade to mutter something incomprehensible before a bright light fills the area.

Sade and I burst out of the orb, and she seems to have recovered from that traumatic experience...for now. A sudden scream grabs my attention however. I turn around to see Chris and Ben binding Pyra to a pillar while that other floating woman is just hanging around right now.

"Oh right. Everyone, meet Noelia. She's Pyra's younger goddess sister, and she's the reason I was late with my backup. Although, she was able to warn me of what Pyra was going to do." Chris explains, but before he can continue further, the palace starts to rumble before the walls start to crack. We have to get out of here! Making a beeline for the exit, Noelia flies back into Chris' body as the screams from Pyra echo behind us.

BLAM! After reaching the palace doors and taking the barring off, we burst outside to be greeted by out of control Fallen Phantoms! Noelia comes out once again before directing us towards the palace's emergency magic portals. We head towards the portals while firing at the oncoming horde of monsters.

Reaching the portals, Noelia gives us the hard news. The portals are one use only. The three green portals will bring us back to Ephario, where we entered The Phantom Region from; the fourth yellow one will lead to The Golden Chain, a set of bountiful magic islands off the coast of Attaria's mainland.

Ben volunteers to take the odd portal, which Sade and I object to...but Chris immediately steps in.

"I'm going. Since I became the host for Noelia, she wants to visit the Shrine of Magic…" he mutters. However, I'm even more against this than I would be if Ben was leaving!

"Chris you can't! Remember when you saved me from my nightmare? If you leave, that nightmare is going to come true!" I demand while making a desperate grab for his arm, but he bats it away.

"I'm sorry Estrella, but if you're going to be like this...I have no choice. Ben. Take Estrella and Sade back to my mansion. I'll try my best to make it back soon, but please watch over them for now." he spits before Ben shoves both Sade and I each into our own green portal.

"Chris!" is the last thing I can yell before being sucked into the portal.

* * *

Christopher

It is done. I nod towards Ben before he goes through his own portal, then I jump into the yellow portal.

After a stomach churning portal ride I land on top of some strange dark mud. Picking myself up, I look around to notice the barren wasteland around me. Noelia telepathically lets me know that this is a form of "trial" before finding the actual Golden Chain. I sigh before slowly walking into the unknown, but Noelia asks me one question.

"Why did you leave that girl named Estrella behind? She obviously is very important to you." she inquires.

"Yes she is Noelia. She's my lovely little princess, but...she's too weak to accompany me." I spit. That may sound extremely cruel, but I have a good reason for saying so.

"Sometimes to conquer a fear, you have to let that person suffer through it by themselves. Fear is natural, and it can control a person if not taken care of. So Estrella is going to have to cope without me until I get back." I finish, and Noelia seems to accept that before going quiet.

Well then. Let's go visit the Shrine of Magic.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

And so Eternal Hunt comes to a close. I hope you've enjoyed the sequel to Team CEBS, and don't worry, the adventure will continue in **A Predator's Slumber!**

Thanks for all the favorites, reviews, and views!

-CJwat15


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